Spark
by ForevermoreAlizabeth
Summary: When Pitch makes one last effort to spread fear across the world, the Guardians are forced to recruit the help of a spirit with a rather...dark past, not only with the Guardians and the Man in the Moon, but with the Nightmare King himself. Can she overcome painful memories and personal vices to save the only things she's loyal to: Children?
1. Chapter 1

_-Hello again, this is my 2nd ROTG fanfiction. I'm sorry if you don't necissairily like OC stories, but give it a chance, you might enjoy it. Takes place after the movie. Enjoy, reviews are highly appreciated and all are read with care and consideration-_

_-On a Tall, Jagged Mountain- _

The storm coiled, clouds pulling in. The atmosphere tensed, like a spring wound far too tight, everything building up into a static, angry clouds roaring over the craggly, distorted mountaintop. Though he couldn't see, the Man in the Moon knew exactly what he was doing. It was the only way, the only test to see if the dreams of children could be controlled, could be given with generosity. If one could hand them dreams of love, happiness, and peace, surely they would be able to spread such ideas themselves.

After a wait that lasted what seemed like a century, the clouds suddenly roared to life like an angry lion, a quick, blindingly bright streak of lightning like none ever seen before rained down, cutting the sky in half like a haphazard knife. This streak of lightning wasn't normal. It wasn't like others ever seen before. No, this one was special. This one commanded attention, commanded almost a bit of fear from the intense, awsome power of it as it struck the mountain top.

It was a miracle it hadn't split the mountain down the center with just the sheer crack of the electric energy, instead pausing a moment at the precipiece, flashing and flairing on the spot where the new Guardian would be ressurected. If anyone deserved a second chance, especially one that would allow the protection of innocent children, then this individual was the one clear choice.

Almost as suddenly as it happened, the lightning bolt broke, exploding in the sky like a firecracker, shards of it falling weakly from the sky, as if it had just spent every last bit of energy it had in creating this new being, in transferring all of its power into one body, now slowly fading down upon them like little flecks of shining snow, like all of the stars in the night decided to fall slowly to the Earth, peppering the child's face and hair and body.

As the shards fell, the clouds parted, moving far too quickly for any normal storm, revealing a moon at full might, shining a single beam down upon the ressurected being below it. The Man in the Moon looked over the girl, analyzing her appearence and how drastically it had changed. Her hair was cropped close to her head and choppy, longer bangs in layers over her delicate, closed eyes. It was bright, growing brighter as the pieces of its progenitor peppered it into a blonde that, when the beams of the moonlight hit it, shone like the sun, like little lightning bolts intertwined within the locks.

Her skin, pale, with the faintest hint of a glow around her cheekbones only when the light hit it. Her thin body, small outlines of thin, lean muscles along her arms and stomach. Clothed in a bright yellow tank top, riding up to her ribs, showing a remarkable scar just below her navel. It was five inches long, glowing an unnatural glow like her hair and face. A constant reminder of her death. Loose, black jeans, hanging just below her hip bones.

Something about her seemed...interesting. Her appearence unhuman, glowing faintly like the reflection of the sun, and yet..yet there was an untamed darkness residing within her. The Man in the Moon sensed this, delving deeper, concerned that this might have been a failed attempt at creating a Guardian, something he'd never done before after such careful precision with Pitch.

The Guardian of Dreams, that's what the title he wanted to give this girl. To give the children peaceful sleeps, protected from any and all nightmares. This would require a very serene, kind-looking, warm person, one who knew how to create joy and comfort, the epitamy of safety and protection. These things had to be part of her center, had to define her very being.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he delved into her layers. The layers surrounding her center, analyzing each of them... His hope slowly drained, witnessing the utter oppisite of what he required of the guardian wrapped around her center. Wild. Untamed. Angry. Corrupted. Irresponsible. Each layer, peeled back to reveal yet another dissapointment. And then anoter layer. This one shocking the Man in the Moon to the point where he faultered, pausing and trying to fully analyze what he was witnessing.

Buried deep inside her, forming an almost protective layer around her center and yet also branching out, spreading through her veins as if a bloodsource, was the unmistakable intensity of a power that the Man in the Moon had never witnessed before, not in his uncountable years of existance. It pulsated, it raged. A pure energy and strength that startled even him, the man who had seen every form of power available. He hadn't meant for this to happen, surely. Even he couldn't have fathomed creating a power of this magnitued to a Guardian!

That, coupled with the other traits that this child held, was enough to fully convince him that this child should not be allowed a second chance, for fear of the world and the safety of children. There was no sensible argument that could have made him keep her, knowing exactly how power of this level could corrupt someone into being a threat capable of compromising the beliefs and balance of the world...

...And yet, curiosity plauged him. With these layers, what could her center possibly be? It wouldn't hurt anything to look, and if it were truly as horrible as the layers surrounding it, then he would quickly and gladly start over, whiping clean the slate and working on yet another Guardian of Dreams. And, with mild hesitation, he looked.

That night was silent, the only sound the slight rustle of trees and residual noise of the crack of lightning. A silent night, in which the Man in the Moon saw a center that would stay with him for the rest of his existance, a center that, once he saw it, he knew. The Man in the Moon could not, after peeling back the layer of extreme power and seeing the center, what was true about this child no matter what her layers were, destroy this soul.

She might not be cut out for Guardianship, but this center, so unlike any other, hidden within such a remarkably dangerous child...and he knew.

Her life held great things. What he once saw as the downfall of the world, now seemed to be the only thing that could save it if a crisis ever arose. All because he looked at who she truly was. And what a remarkable center it was.

There was a sudden movement, the slight flutter of eyelids, peeling back to reveal two, dark, vibrant, yellow irises, clouded with pain and confusion. The Man in the Moon watched, the girl's eyes flickering up towards him, a hoarse throat managing out one, innocent question:

"...Who am I?" It would be the only question he would answer for many centuries to come. He decided to make it count.

_"...Nightlight.."_

"...That's a stupid name..."Came an ever sarcastic mutter, followed by a slight shudder. And then the eyes closed again, slipping the temporary Guardian into unconciousness once more. And, for the first time in what felt like eons, the Man in the Moon chuckled in pulsating light, before fading behind a darkened cloud, leaving the child...for now.

_-Thousands of Years Later-_

Crouched atop a tall lightpost, I got the best view of the city, of the things humans could create with light. Dark, oily looking streets, blackened buildings, dim cars, metal, exauhst, gas. All of it brought to life almost magically, giving it a beautiful quality, with just a few additions of street lights, office lights, and headlights. I preferred cities over anything else, simply admiring their uses of lights. No boring house lights and maybe a streetlight every now and then.

No, with their lights, they went all out. Hell, there were lights every few feet! If I had to call anyplace my home, which I didn't, not liking the restricting sound of settling in one place for too long, it would probably be in a city. Besides, where else could an invisible reject not only fit in, but get free booze? Speaking of which, I took a swing from the bottle I currently held, enjoying the soda-like fizz as it went down my throat, a drop falling onto the shiny combat boots perched on the slick surface of the streetlight.

The thick rubber on the bottom of the boots protected me from the lethal material beneath me, the shiny, deadly metal glaring up at me as the heat from it soaked into my feet through my layer of protection. I glared right back at it, hating this and only this about cities: They were made almost entirely of the one substance I couldn't stand.

A cold breeze blew by, rustling the short-cropped hair on my head and dancing across the back of my neck. I shivered, gritting my teeth and cursing quietly as I flicked a finger up, watching as a tiny, sparkling dot of light danced over it, like one of those sparks you see when a car hits the breaks too fast or if metal screeches against metal.

The tiny thing quickly warmed me, enveloping me in light and soothing over the goosebumps on my skin.

"If I ever meet Jack Frost, I'm kicking his ass."I muttered playfully, throwing a shining lock of bright blonde hair from my eyes.

"You'll have to wait until I'm finished with him, then."A sudden voice mused with an undertone of a british accent, darkly twisting through the air on a flat apartement roof next to me. Anyone else would have jumped at the sudden, dark-toned voice of a figure that made most children wet their beds and run screaming to their parents. But I didn't have a bed or any parents, and I sure as hell wasn't afraid of him.

I felt a smile wind its way onto my face, even a bit of excitement in hearing the person, a playful smile that made me throw my head back a bit. I tossed the translucent brown bottle down, not flinching as it smashed loudly onto the ground.

Slowly, I stood, turning and looking over at an empty roof. I knew better than to actually think it empty, rolling my eyes and jumping an impossible distance to the roof, landing easily and calling sarcastically,

"Well damn, where could he have gone? Maybe, over here?"I spun, the spark over my finger momentarily breaking through a wall of shadow, casting a warm glow over a towering figure, before being promptly snubbed out by a long index finger and thumb, both tinted a dark grey. I scowled and looked up, into the eyes of a man I knew all too well.

He gave me a slow, twisting grin, yellow eyes alight, though not nearly comparable to mine. This man's eyes had no light, just a glint of evil and danger that, despite myself, I had a small fondness of.

"Now now, the game's no fun if you win right away."He cooed, moving the hand that snubbed my spark to my wrist. Shadows coiled from his palm, winding around my arm and tainting it, feeling the light and power within my arm receed back as if burned. Angrily and with so little effort it was almost comical, I flicked my wrist free and sent a barrage of sparks out, eating the shadows and dancing around the man's head.

He recoiled, looking at them in disgust before taking a claw-like hand and slashing through them, only to have them dance away from him and back to me, nuzzling back into my hair and jacket. Now it was my turn to smirk and his to scowl. I placed a hand on my hip and mused,

"Pitch Black. It's been awhile since I last saw you...905 years, if I remember correctly." He composed himself, shrugging with an unreadable expression, and turned out to the city, looking over it like I had just been, knowing he was appreciating the darkness more so than the light.

"Yes, well, whose fault was that?"He mused, but the tone of bitterness had long since faded from his voice, now only a playful jab. At the memory I felt a small spark emit from my right eye as I raised my eyebrow, while at the same time feeling a jab of pain that I quickly ushered away. I slowly walked up to his side, hands on my hips as I sighed.

"Yours, if I remember. Your choice to hurt the kids, my obligation to kick you into the next 9 centuries." He let out a loud bout of laughter, shaking his head and chuckling darkly,

"My dear, I think we both know that you, of all people, _have _no obligations." At this I gave a genuine smile and a small shrug, though it was true, eyes flickering up to the full moon with almost a defiant look. "And still, you protected those children over me."Pitch continued in a smooth, unreadable tone. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, feeling not one shred of regret in that particular choice.

"Not like we meant anything to each other at the time, right?"I mused playfully, thinking of the rather...turbulant relationship I shared with this man. From a toxic romance to an explosive breakup, followed by playful rivalries, we were the posterchildren of what kids watched nowdays. Reality TV they called it. Instead of the chuckle and witty comeback I was hoping for, I was surprised by a gentle hand brushing across my cheek.

I stifled a shiver at the touch, turning and looking up at Pitch. Instead of a dark, malevolent smirk or furious scowl like the rest of the world saw, like I saw on so many occasions, I also saw the only part of him that even Manny himself probably couldn't see. The soft, tender part. The part that made it hard to believe he was the Boogeyman, the King of Nightmares. A light, innocent touch, so unlike that of the harsh blows and attacks he gave out to anyone, including myself, on multiple occasions.

A look that made him seem almost human. Eyes downcast and starring into my own with a kind of sad regret, a frown, eyebrows slightly drawn. This was a different, fleeting side of Pitch Black. This was the part that made me fall for him so many uncountable years ago. And I hated myself more than I could ever explain for falling for him all over again every time he gave me a touch like this, looked at me like that.

I was a spirit untamed by anyone and anything. Cast out by the Man in the Moon, nothing was my master. I went and did as I pleased, I caused destruction and chaos when I got bored, I was the most contraversal spirit to ever grace the Earth. People told tales about me like children did about the 'Big 5'. I never let anything hold me down, let any voice be my reason other than my own. I enjoyed my freedom.

Which was why I hated this power that Pitch held over me. The small things he did that took complete control over me, made me remember all of the good and the bad of what we had been through. Made me fall for him, all over again, if just for the moment. Made me hate him maddeningly. Because, deep down inside, I knew that he was the only person who truley understood what I had gone through, to an extent.

His body pressed close, hand remaining on my jaw, my body remaining when I should have crushed him then and there. I could. I had before. I certainly was able to now. And yet, like too many other times, I couldn't do it.

"You, of all people, should know that's a lie."He whispered to me, and it took all of my power to not move in closer, to wrap myself in what I hated, my sweet sin. But I refused, instead looking up at him and whispering,

"You should go..."And then, something I'd heard jumped into my memory, and all of a sudden I understood his purpose here. It made me both smirk and cringe at the same time, feeling both highly amused and used. "Ahh, I understand now."I mused, his face darkening a bit, "Didn't the Big 5 banish you five years ago? And I wonder, how did you get out?" His face paused a moment, before turning back into that smirk that made it so easy to hate him.

His nails drug lightly on my jaw as he leaned in, saying in a low tone,

"They tried to trap me with my own nightmares, and we both know that _I'm_ not the one running from them." I clenched my jaw, glarring daggers at him and wishing him into nonexistance for even bringing up such a subject as nightmares. We were both aware of my more-than-fair-share of them, and my stunning ability to stifle them into the bottom of my mind to the point where it seemed I had forgotten all about my past. And I had.

"It did weaken me, though, I must admit..."He trailed off, and I let out a groan, rolling my eyes. I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief and exclaiming,

"I knew it!" I leaned in closer, a lopsided smirk on my face as I spat, "Listen, Pitch, no matter how many puppy-dog faces you give me, I'm not, nor will I ever, join you. Or do you not remember the last time we met well enough?" His eyebrows pulled together, lips thin in anger.

"Think about it for once!"He argued, almost desperatly, "We could be a team unlike any other! We both know you're stronger than any of those Guardians, and with me by your side there's no way they could stop us, those who were given positions stolen from us! Why can they live fulfilled lives while we're shoved into the shadows?" I stepped back, snapping my fingers as a spark danced above them, Pitch's eyes narrowing at it.

"I hate them. You got that right, darling. But defeating them would be counterproductive. Destorying the ones that I hate isn't worth the cost of destroying the ones I love, as well."I stepped closer, holding the spark so close to him that he had to move back a step, "I will not let you hurt the children, and if that's what you're here for, then I suggest you take the headstart I'm giving you."

Yes, with a spirit as corrupted as me, the pure irony of my dedication to the purest, most innocent creatures on Earth was not missed in my eyes or Pitch's. Slowly, he bowed his head, muttering with an edge of bitterness,

"How dissapointing. Though, I am glad we get to continue our games, I still wish you would reconsider." He dipped into the shadows faster than I could stop him, and a tingling in my spine alerted me of exactly where he was. His breath on my neck sent another shiver down my spine, wishing my hair was long enough to cover it as the exhale of words rustled the short locks.

"And I was telling the truth, when I said it was a lie. You will always mean something to me."A light touch of lips to the back of my neck making me surpress yet another shiver, "Boston..."He gave one last whisper, and then his presence was gone, just like that.

And all over again I felt anger rise in me. Filling me like it always did when our meetings went like this. I knew immediatly that I had to leave before said anger destroyed half of the city I'd named myself after. Taking off into the sky, a frenzy of sparks giving me liftoff before wrapping and dancing around me, I turned and sped away, wanting to get somewhere, anywhere, were I could vent my destructive rage without hurting anyone.

Antarctica was nice this time of year.


	2. An Enigma

_-Please feel free to tell me if there's anything wrong or boring about the story. Right now I'm getting through the major plot beginnings, trust me it's gonna get good. Also, if you have any requests for pairings in this story feel free to tell me. Review please 3 -_

_-At the Pole-_

"Frostbite, I'm gonna give ya till the count a' three."An angry Australian accent warned, the low tone directed at the impish boy sitting a ways away from the irate, large bunny. The boy's light blue eyes glittered with excitement, mirroring the frost-covered hoodie he wore over tattered brown pants. Shockingly white locks of hair fell over his mischevious face as he pointed the wooden staff in his hand towards the rabbit, keeping it an inch from the seething Pooka's nose.

"Then what? You'll egg my lake?"The Guardian of Fun prodded, the older Guardian's emerald green eyes alight with anger. His blue fur bristled on his back, the indigo-blue markings along his back, arms, legs, head, and white chest standing up as he made a move for a boomerang secured in a sling across his chest. Before he could reach it, though, a puff of golden sand burst into the room, followed by a blurr of green and purple, the two Guardians just entering breaking up the sight by swarming up to the two and giving them overzeleous welcomes.

"Bunny! It's been so long! How are- Oh! Jack! You're teeth are just as white as I remember them! You've been flossing I hope?"The human-like, hummingbird-like woman gushed over both of them, sticking her fingers into Jack Frost's mouth, her transparent, purple-tinted wings fluttering behind her as her sleek and silky, green and purple feathers moved in the slight breeze they created.

"Uhm gad da te ou too!"Jack managed out with his mouth full of fingers, Toothiana, the Guardian of Memories, pulling back quickly and blushing. Behind her, a stout, chubby, golden man in a golden robe of sand waved hello to Bunnymund, the Guardian of Hope. The little man's chubby face was alight, his orange-yellow eyes glowing like his messy golden hair at seeing his friends again for the first time in weeks.

Bunny cooly saluted the Sandman and mused,

"Sandy, how ya doin' mate?" Sandy, the Guardian of Dreams, created several images above his head in sand, going fast and excitedly. The large Pooka laughed and nodded, musing tiredly,

"Yeah, been pretty busy myself, with Easta' comin' up soon an' all. Which is why I wanna bloody know why that old date wants ta call us ta a meetin'! If he's doin' this ta try an' say that his two-bit holiday is more important than Easta', then-"

"Oh, friend, es not about that!"A loud, jolly voice boomed, everyone turning to see the Guardian of Wonder walking into the room with his massive arms crossed, two tattos shown on his forearms depicting 'Naughty' and 'Nice' amoungst other tribal tattoos, under a massive white beard and a rosy, jolly face.

He walked up, the other guardians greeting him, North patting Bunnymund's shoulder and saying lightly,

"Though it es more important." Bunny gaped at him, arms crossing in a huff and sinking into his chair, Toothiana and Sandy taking their seats between the youngest Guardian and Bunny, North walking behind his desk.

"So why are we here, North?"Jack asked, twirrling his staff in one hand, barely missing smacking it into Tooth. North's face suddenly fell, the other Guardians catching the change and sitting up straighter, knowing that this man's jovial attitude was rarely affected by anything. North's eyebrows furrowed a bit as he leaned his hands on his massive desk, the wood creaking under his large weight.

"Es...very bad news, Manny has brought me only thees morning."He said in a thick Russian accent, Tooth's face becoming worried while Sandy popped an image of a question mark above his head.

"What's wrong?"Jack asked, fearing the worst in his gut, imagining once again a tall, dark figure in the shadows, a deep and malicious voice calling out to them... "Is it...Pitch?"He asked uncertainly, all of his confidence draining away at the thought. North paused a moment, looking down at his hands, before slowly nodding.

The Guardians erupted, Bunny shouting questions, Tooth fretting over just how he had escaped from the darkness they'd banished him to, Sandy flashing sand images over his head a mile a minuet, Jack looking from each of them to North, trying to sort everything out. Over the roar of shouts and concerns and sand images, North straightened up, held his hands out, and shouted,

"QUIET!" Almost instantly they all silenced, the sand image above Sandy's head falling slowly down, dusting the ground with the shimmery gold as they all looked at North with different concerns across their silent faces. North took a breath, running a hand down his face and taking a moment to compose himself. After a moment of silence, North spoke again, serious and gruff.

"Dat es not only bad news."He said, Bunny opening his mouth to say something, but being cut off by a stern look from North, settling on grumbling and sinking back in his chair, ears flattening against his head. "Man in Moon...he worried. He feels Pitch es up to something big, dangerous, and wants us to find help in making sure he stays down and away from the children of de world."North continued, Jack raising an eyebrow.

"So? We could use a little help, if it only took Pitch five years to break out of his nightmares."He mused calmly, but North's face did not waver from the concern written on his features.

"Es not so simple, you see...Manny wants us to ask help from a particular spirit that...es not exactly..._trustworthy._"North tried, clearly nervous and choosing his words carefully. At this, every Guardian got a suspicious look on their faces, North purposely avoiding their gazes as he sighed, saying in a defeated tone, "I try to tell Manny to choose other, anyone other, but for reason he not explain he insisted we ask help from..."He paused again, and Bunny got irritated.

"Who, ya bloody ol' date?"He snapped, and North straightened up, crossing his arms and sighing out,

"...Es Boston."

"..."

"..."

"Wh-who?"Toothiana stuttered, the others silent. North sighed again and said,

"Man in Moon wants us to ask Boston to help us in defeating of Boogeyman."

"Has he lost his bloody mind?!"Bunnymund exclaimed, standing up and knocking his chair back a bit, Jack jumping, the only one in the room without the slightest idea of who this 'Boston' person was. "I'd take the bloody _Groundhog _over that wackjob!"Bunny shouted, Jack thinking that, if Bunny would perfer the Groundhog over anything, then that thing must be pretty bad.

"He must have made a mistake, are you sure he said Boston?"Tooth asked nervously, wings fluttering behind her. Sandy just sat, looking confused and dumbstruck, sitting on his dreamsand cloud, eyes flashing between North and whoever was speaking. North shook his head, saying finally,

"No, Manny very clear. He shine on her page in Book of Spirits and Guardians."

"Wait,"Jack interrupted, all eyes on him, "Who's Boston? I thought that was a city or something. And what's this book about? Am I in it!"

"Jack.."Tooth tried, but North held up a hand to silence her, instead looking at Jack as he turned and walked to a massive bookshelf on the wall, overflowing with large, leather-bound novels.

"Boston es rogue spirit, created long, long time ago. Before Sandy, even."North explained, Jack nodding, attentive in childlike curiosity.

"What's a rogue spirit?"He asked, as North's fingers traveled over the spines of the books, looking for one in particular.

"A spirit that directly disobeys and ignores Man in Moon, takes no orders and uses powers to create chaos and mayhem, doing whatever they want however they want to do it."

"Kinda like you, Frostbite, times ten."Bunny said seriously, Jack's eyes widening in wonder.

"So, if she's a spirit, what's she a spirit of?"Jack asked, tilting his head to the side as North muttered to himself.

"Well...there's where things get...complicated. Long, long time ago, right after Man in Moon create Pitch, he created Boston. You see, she was original Guardian of Dreams, like Sandy es now."At this, Jack stole a look over to the little golden man, who was looking out the frost-covered window Jack had entered from, almost lost in his own thoughts.

"She was too...how do I say...out of control. She was rebellious, like teenager, but to an extreme extent. She did not like Manny controlling her, and neglected his orders, instead running rampant and untamed, using immense, almost unheard of power to cause chaos and senseless destruction. She did help children, yes, but too irresponsible to be Guardian. Therefore, Manny strip her of title once he created Sandy and she became first and only Ex-Guardian, now with a reputation to fit her power."North finished, Jack leaning back nonchalantly, clearly not impressed by North's theatrics.

"What reputation? I've never heard of her, and I'm 300 years old!"Jack reasoned, and Tooth shook her head.

"People rarely like talking about her. She's almost like a taboo subject, the first and only of our kind to become such a...loose cannon. She's done some pretty bad things, Jack."She said quietly, almost carefully, as if actually speaking about her would bring the enigma right into this room with them.

"Like what?"He asked, tone jovial and skeptical. He knew the Guardians were uptight about rules, scheduals, work, and other adult things that the winter spirit couldn't care less for. In fact, the more they described this girl, the better he felt about meeting her.

Bunny made a scoffing sound as North exclaimed something in Russian, pulling out a book as Bunny continued,

"Oh, like attackin' a fall spirit to the point where it's still recovering, 800 years lata'." Jack paused, eyes widening, suddenly not so sure that he wanted to meet this spirit anymore. Being a free-spirit was one thing, but hurting other spirits...? He jumped as North slammed a book down in front of him, dust flying out from it as North threw open the falling-apart novel, thicker than any piece of literacy Jack had ever seen.

The torn, yellowed pages were turned quickly as North thumbed through, looking for a certain page. Finally, after a few moment, North exclaimed another Russian term and shoved the book towards Jack, who scooted forward and leaned over in childlike wonder that North found so endearing. The winter spirit raised his eyebrows, looking at a quill drawing of a girl looking to be about his age, at least at the time of her death.

She was beautiful, but in a terrifying way. Her hair was very short, about Jack's length, and even in the drawing seemed to almost glow in places, like bits of electricity weaved into it. Her skin was pale, with a bit of a glow around her cheeks that could have been missed if you weren't looking for it. And her eyes, narrowed in a daring and dangerous way, as if asking for a fight, and yellow irises, black around the rim with a vibrant color closer to the pupil.

She wore a bright yellow tank top and low-rising, baggy black jeans with what appeared to be combat boots underneath, her left hand posed toughly on her hip with the other one at her side, from it a sketch of what appeared to be sparks flying around her, twisting around her abdomen and up the other side of her face. Jack knew this was only a picture, and it couldn't possibly be intimidating, but...just something about her, about how she looked, was just that. Intimidating. Like a loose circut. Imagining this girl attacking a fall spirit...it sent a shiver up Jack's spine. And he did not shiver very often.

No, she wasn't what Jack envisioned at all. The way they'd described her made her sound fun, rebellious, like any normal fun-loving teenager, if not a bit over the top. But hey, so was Jack Frost, as evident by his place secured on the naughty list. But no, she was different, very different, from anything he first judged her as. This girl wasn't innocent in any form of the word. In fact, she looked downright...evil.

"But...if she's so dangerous, then why would Manny tell us to ask for her help?"Jack asked, looking up at North with a question. As he did, all of the Guardian's suddenly trained on North, none of them noticed Sandy's sudden change in attitude. He sat up bolt-straight, eyes wide as an exclamation point appeared above his head. Something akin to fear clenched in the little man's chest and he immediatly tried to get the other's attention.

He made images above his head, but none of them were paying any attention, instead airing their own issues.

"That's wha' I wanna know! Why would Manny tell us ta get her help? If anythin', she'd make it worse!"Bunny exclaimed, Sandy turning to each Guardian desperatly, tugging on Tooth's feathers. She looked down and gave his head a pat, saying kindly,

"I know sweetie, we're all worried." Before turning back to North. Becoming frustrated, the little Sandman jumped from his sand cloud and landed on the desk, smoke-like sand coming from his ears as he huffed and glared at each of them, just now turning their attention to the Sandman.

"What's wrong, Sandy?"Jack asked, and Sandy pointed aggriavated up at his head, where and image appeared of children dreaming. Suddenly, the image was distorted by nightmares, ripping through the dreams and stomping them out, tearing them to bits and leaving the children tremoring in fear. Tooth gasped, North's eyes widening as he watched.

"Where, Sandy?!"He exclaimed, and the shape of a state formed over his head.

"...New York?"

_-Brooklyn Heights- Boston's p.o.v****_

"Hm, nice one, you little fat bastard."I mummbled, sitting length-wise on a kid's windowsill, my knee up with my arm over it, resting my back and head against the side of the frame as I stared into the dark, peaceful room. In a dark blue bed lay an innocent little boy, with messy black hair getting rattier by the second as he tossed and turned in his dream, images of said child as a superhero and saving the town dancing above his head.

A feeling of anger and distain twisted inside me as I watched the dream sand work its magic, melting a smile onto the child's face. I was both unable to hate the man who gave him this dream, making this child feel so safe and secure in the terrifying world they were growing up in(albeit a beautiful city. Brooklyn sure knew how to light up a city), and unable to _not _ hate him, knowing that the joy he spread to these children, the reason they could see him, should be because of me.

I scoffed and mummbled,

"Sure, you can give them dreams. Big freakin' whoop, but can you protect them?"

Sometimes, life does things like a play, creating situations that twist on cue. Such as now, as the child's face immediatly scrunched up into on of uncomftorble fear, shoulders pulling up to his ears as his body curled in on itself, my eyes flickering towards the golden sand above his head. He, in the image, stopped mid-flight, only to be sucked down into what appeared to be a black hole, struggling until it completely engulfed him. The little boy let out a yelp as the dream morphed from the elegant golden sand in something much more sinister.

My eyes narrowed and I pointed my free hand towards the miniature black horse over the child's head, muttering low,

"Oooh Pitch, you really can't just stay the fuck down, can you?" I released a trail of angry sparks, the horse whinneying and rearing up before the sparks engulfed it, spinning rapidly around the beast before diving across and tearing into it, the black sand falling onto the child's bed covers before seeping into them, dissapearing.

I took that as my cue to go, knowing that, where there was one nightmare, there was a whole army more. I slid off of the windowsill and onto the metal ladder connected to it, looking out into the night...

"Oh...hell...no."I whispered angrily, grip tightening on the railings on either side of me as I watched through the night, black streaks flying through the air, some dipping down into the apartement windows, others seeming to keep to the group, in search of a particular target. If you squinted, you could make out the shape of strong, red-eyed, black stallions on the front, made entirely of black sand.

I knew Pitch too well, far too well, to think that this wasn't some sort of distraction, some sort of warning for the real events about to come. Unfortunatly, I had a hint of what those were, too. Anger immediatly subsided to excitement, adrenaline beginning to pump into my veins as I got a lopsided smirk, feeling sparks immediatly begin to flow off my body, into the night air, mirroring my increase in energy.

I wasn't focusing on what Pitch was doing, wasn't focusing on the bigger, more evil plan behind all of this that I only had the faintest guess of. Wasn't focusing on how Pitch knew I would be in a city like this. No, I wasn't focusing on anything like that at all. What really took up my attention, what made my night that much better, was the challenge that Pitch was presenting me with.

And I wasn't one to say no to a challenge.


	3. A Reluctance

_-Brooklyn Heights- Boston's p.o.v****_

__ The night sky was a show of lights and shadows, slicing and tearing through the other, firework-like streaks destroying the darkness bit by bit in a beautiful display of power, speed, and elegance. It was a shame no one could see it. Oh well, the mortals were the ones missing out.

I arched through the air, jumping almost to the cloudline and throwing my hands down in front of me, two streaks of thousands of tiny little lights arching parallel to each other, slamming down on the armies of nightmares charging towards me, sensing my disturbance in their numbers. I laughed out loud, letting out an excited shout as I fell back down, landing with one foot on the edge of a building and bringing one arm across my body diagonally, slamming into another, smaller wave of nightmares.

This was so easy it was almost pathetic. No, strike that, it was pathetic. But that didn't stop me from having massive amounts of fun in ripping through these things, the rush of the fight pulsating in my veins like a drug, like a sugar high on Halloween. I looked around during an abnormal lull in their numbers, arching my view across the block and into what appeared to be a normal-looking apartement complex.

But I knew better. I'd spent too much time around these nightmares to not know what they were thinking when they retracted from me. Following Pitch's orders, they wouldn't back down. Just regroup.

Another smile streaching my face, I jumped, shooting towards the complex where I was immediatly greeted with whinneys and the rushing sounds of a massive army, almost like soldiers charging into war on horseback like they used to. I liked it more back then, the sounds of the hooves, the bright explosions of guns and cannons. It mirrored my own war against the nightmares.

Once I reached a full-view of the army, I paused, taking it in. They were all on the ground, in numbers of hundreds, split only by buildings and otherwise hide-to-hide, rearing up and knocking eachother to the sides as they became restless, manes shaking and creating almost a wave-like effect, a sea of shadows during a wind storm. They expanded, ready to charge at something I didn't see, nor cared about.

I felt something growing inside me. I felt my heart begin to pound as I collected energy within me, drawing it in. Muscles tightened like strings on an instrument. My chest expanded as I took in a breath. My heart struggled to beat out the blood rushing through my veins, racing the adrenaling through, the sparks igniting on my skin. I felt a scream build up in my throat, eyes narrowed and mouth smiling as one of the nightmares looked up, catching sight of me.

In response, I shot a bullet of sparks down, erupting in front of their lines and causing the others to explode in sounds of shock and anger. And in only a second, they began to swarm towards me, just as I felt my energy reach its peak, its maximum power threatening to explode within me. I brought my arms in front of me, hands straight as, like carpets, massive sheets rolled out from the tips of my fingers, channeling all of my energy into them until they were hundreds of feet high, hundreds of feet long, dwarfing me in the sky.

It looked like I took layers of the sun and cut it into massive, unproportional sheets that glittered in the nightsky, seeing the darkness alight with a spectacular display of electricity, making up for the lack of sun in one, luminescent movement. I couldn't see past them, but I didn't care. Adrenaline and excitement blinded me, using all of my strength to pull my arms back, until they were to my sides. Like actual sheets, the squares moved painfully slowly, their massive size taking moments to pull backwards, their momentum creating a U like shape as they both flew past my hands the ends still attatched to my finger tips.

I felt myself begin to pant, but showed nor felt any other signs of exauhstion, aware of the massive energy I controlled at the moment. Once both sheets were straight behind me, flying in the air as if caught in a dimension between Earth and the sky, between the land and Manny, between heaven and hell, I controlled the most powerful substance in the world, right at my fingertips.

In a nostalgic moment, the hoards of nightmares roared up, just feet from me, before I let out a loud shout of energy, slamming my hands together and snapping both curtains down upon the army. A blinding light emitted, like a supernova in the sky, expanding the second the sheets touched and shooting out faster than you could blink, a white-light shooting from its center and decorating the night sky with a display so magnificent that it was a true tragedy that it was lost to mortal eyes.

My body seemed to release along with the light, feeling the tense, the tightness of the energy release and leaving me completely shaken and giddy, laughing as I slammed back to the ground, landing on my feet painlessly as, above me, a steady snowfall of black rained down, moving sluggishly before dissapearing in front of me like it did on the child's bed, as if it never really existed.

I managed to stop panting, flipping a lock of bright-yellow hair from my eyes as I whispered,

"Suck it, Manny."

"...Woah..." I heard a young voice behind me, and turned in mild surprise, raising an eyebrow as I located the owner. Behind me, coming out from an alley, stood the very last person I expected to be in Brooklyn during March. A young boy stood shakily, ice-blue eyes wide in wonder and shock, as if he'd just seen the most amazing thing of his life, unnaturally pale hands gripping a crooked brown staff. He wore a blue hoodie with frost on the chest and shoulders, other than that just old, ratty brown pants with no shoes, just a mop of pure white hair on his head.

I cocked a smile and walked closer to the newest Guardian, taking him in. I'd heard stories about him, from even before he became a Guardian. He was a trouble maker, shunned by the other spirits before his Guardianship made him a big thing, otherwise just a boy with a seriously cool atmosphere. He was the one who helped take down Pitch five years ago, and while I harbored ridiculous, unwarrented, and massive grudges and spite against all of the Guardians, for some reason I could never bring myself to fully hate this one.

What could I say? I was a sucker for a kid with a sense of humor and humility. As I got closer, I saw his body stiffen, getting an adorable, scared kind of look to him. He couldn't have been older than me when he died, and yet he still looked like such a child. Maybe that was another reason why I felt...almost neutral towards him.

"Hey there, Frosty. Enjoy the show?"I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets and grinning. He seemed lost for a second, as if not expecting me to actually talk and be some sort of illusion or something, until he managed to flick his eyes from where I'd just been to where I was, saying shakily,

"Wha?...Oh, no...well I mean...um..."He paused, before finally gulping and managing a small, nervous smile. "I-I'm Jack Frost." I laughed, shaking my head and saying calmly,

"I know who you are, kiddo. You're the big new guy who took down Pitch awhile ago, huh?"

"Actually, was group effort, but Jack was big help!"A thick, jolly Russian accent exclaimed, and I immediatly felt myself raise a skeptical eyebrow, smile tighter and more hostile than the one I'd given Jack, as the other Guardians appeared from the shadows behind their so-called 'leader'. Nicholas St. North, the Guardian of Wonder, waltzed out like I couldn't seriously injure him with a snap of my fingers.

He gave me a wide, hopeful smile, but I could see the trepidation behind it. Good. Be trepa..fied...something along those lines, just so long as he was scared.

"Funny, it really took all of you to defeat one guy that I took down all on my own? You guys are really slacking for Guardians."I mused calmly, seeing two Guardians beside North tense up. One of them was a strikingly innocent woman, with glossy green and purple feathers all over her body, a human face with two big, shiny purple eyes and transparent wings.

Toothiana. She'd avoided me her entire existance. The other one, though, I'd run into once. I raised an eyebrow as I spied the abnormally tall bunny, covered in blue fur on his back, indigo blue tribal markings along his body, white fur down his lean torso and under a boomerang sling. Two emerald green eyes glared at me as I walked closer, past a confused and shaky Jack.

Once I got to the large Pooka, hands still shoved into my pockets, I tilted my head to the side playfully and asked,

"E. Aster Bunnymund, you haven't changed a bit since I last saw you." His eyes grew even more narrow as he leaned down to me, an intensity in his glare that only he could give. It was agressive and hostile, almost like a more ferocious animal than a mere rabbit. More like a lion, or a cat.

"You two've met?"Jack's innocent voice asked, and my eyes widened a bit.

"You didn't tell 'em?"I asked, mock-offended.

"Tell 'em what?"He asked in a low, gruff, Australian accent that I found mildly appealing, "How ya almost destroyed an' entia' forest full a' Easta' eggs when ya decided ta play bloody target practice with the trees?!" I snickered at the memory, remembering a seething rabbit slamming into me before I threw him into a tree trunk.

To be honest, it was one of the more...peculiar memories I had. Usually, like with the Lepracaun and his gold or with Cupid and his arrows, I would accidentally mess with a spirit's element, and then, once they'd fully ranted to me, destroy what was left around me and leave them the mess to clean up. Not to hurt the children who believed in them, but just because I found it easy to aggrivate and hurt their elements when they were sending strings of insults and curses at me.

But that time, in the forest, was different. I didn't know why, and sometimes it did still bother me, but I felt almost...unable to hurt his element. Like something was holding me back from seeing the absolute helplessness and fury in his eyes when I destroyed all of those precious eggs. And, for a moment that I rarely admitted, I'd felt bad, in that moment, for the destruction I'd already caused.

It unnerved me, that moment, that the look he had about him as he glared at me, but also searched to make sure the eggs were safe for the kids, made me totally unwilling to have my usual fun in ruining a few more before roughing him up a bit and leaving. To be completely honest, I'd found myself unable to _harm _ him, like my body was allergic to him as it was to metal.

But that was ridiculous, and I quickly dismissed it, having flown off right then and there and making a point to avoid him at all costs. And now here he was. With the other Guardians. And it suddenly dawned on me that one of them was missing.

A trail of sand fell in my perifrial vision, and I immediatly felt myself seethe. I spun quickly, making a startled Sandman jump back on his little cloud in fear, backing up as I let out an icy smile.

"Ah! Little Sandy's here too, huh? Well, this must be one big Guardian shin-dig, huh? Sorry to interrupt, just had to save a few children, you know?"As I said this, trails of sparks circled the Sandman, my utter contempt for this man apparent. He had been chosen when I wasn't good enough. Apparently, I couldn't measure up to his almighty 'kindness', 'gentleness', 'sweetness', 'peacefulness', blah, blah, blah. I'd heard it all before.

To be quite honest, I kept children save while he rode around all night and delivered dreams of dolphins and cats. And he was given all the credit.

"Anyways, I better be off. Don't think Manny would appreciate the _real _ Guardian of Dreams to hang around his predecessor too long, huh?"I brought a hand out and snapped my fingers, the sparks darting once more around the man at an alarming speed before dissipating back into my skin, feeling their comfort and warmth.

"Actually, es what Manny wants exactly!"The Russian accent boomed, though this time far less confident. Let out a sharp laugh and turned, wondering if the big guy had finally lost it.

"Excuse me? So they let a senile old crackpot be a Guardian and not me? This is ridiculous, I'm out of here-"

"Oi, hold it sheila!"Bunny's voice came, paw on my arm as I turned to leave. The contact surprised me enough to keep me grounded, his soft paw firm on my elbow. It was an odd feeling, being actually touched without an intent of harm behind it...at least, none that I could sense. The only person who'd ever touched me without meaning to seriously injure me was Pitch, but his touch was much different from this one.

The one was earnest and commanding, but strangely comftorble coming from Bunnymund, sending an odd, tense feeling up to my shoulderblade. I finally snapped out of it and yanked my arm from him a bit more venomously than I intended, his eyes going wide for a moment before North interrupted.

"Es true! There es serious problem, problem that could endanger all children of de world!"He exclaimed theatrically. I crossed my arms, half to show my apathy and also to keep them close to me and away from Bunny, rolling my eyes and musing,

"Pitch is back." They all tensed, eyes wide as Jack cut in,

"You know?!"

Damn, they really didn't know a lot about me, did they? Not that Pitch and I had made our...connection, apparent. Hell, most of them were just beginning to be Guardians by the time it ended!

"I know a hell of a lot more about Pitch than you think."I mused sneakily, earning a rather suspicious look from Bunny that burned into me as I focused on the others, Sandy moving a bit behind Jack. "Anyway, what does it have to do with me?"I prodded on, wondering what the old windbag was getting at.

Tooth, a big jittery with her hands clasped together and knees up to her chest, said quietly,

"Well...you see...um..." I raised an eyebrow, wondering if she were having some kind of stroke or something. Luckily, Bunny cut in for her.

"Manny thinks we need ya help."...

...

...

.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"I burst out laughing, jumping in the air just a bit so that I could turn head-over-heels, arms wrapped around my stomach as it convulsed, tears coming to my eyes. Whoever thought up this joke was an absolute genius and deserved some kind of award for making me laugh harder than I had since I'd scared the spirit of Halloween so much that he tripped and became a pile of bones, taking an hour to put himself back together.

"Wh-who th-thought up th-that one?!"I exclaimed, finally getting to my feet, arms still wrapped around my aching abs. They all gave each other nervous looks, Bunny just glaring like he always did. Honestly, I didn't think he had any other facial expression.

"Um, we're serious. The Man in the Moon told us that we needed your help to stop Pitch once and for all, so that he could never pose a threat to children...ever again..."Tooth managed out, and I paused for a moment. I could feel the moonbeams hit me, shining over the city, almost watching me expectantly.

And a bit of anger rose up in my chest. I turned to her, making her shrink back a bit, as I spat out,

"No, sorry. Got better things to do with my time than help a bunch of idiots with a problem they should have solved back in the Dark Ages."

"Oi!"Bunny shouted, offended, my glare locking with his for a moment, "Listen here, ya bloody show pony," What did he just call me? Did he just in all seriousness call me a 'show pony'? "We don' like askin' fer some crook spirit with Manny issues! I trust ya about as much as ya trust us, but it's Manny's orders-"

"I don't follow _Manny's orders,_ mate,"I spat with as much venom as I could muster, glare searing holes in his eyes as I continued, "If Pitch is back, what's it any issue of mine? If you all are as big and strong as Manny clearly thought you were, then you don't need my help." At this point, our faces were mere inches apart, both of us seething as an anger gripped me so tightly that I felt sparks jumping from my body, swirrling around me as I cursed both the Guardians and Manny.

He thinks that he can just tear my title from me, throw me into a world with no purpose, completely confused as to why I wasn't good enough for him, let me wander for thousands of years, and then expect me to just jump at his command and help this band of idiots to defeat a man who I hated with all of my heart and also fell for everytime he so much as _touched _ me?!

Well Manny could go to hell for all I cared for. I stopped obeying him a long, long time ago.

"I afraid of this."North sighed. About to cause a major scene, I spun towards him and shouted,

"You're damn righ-MOTHER FU-" I was cut off, a massive, multi-colored portal opening up right in my face, feeling a harsh shove from behind me as I was thrown forward into the swirrling hole, closing my eyes as everything began to swirrel around me.

The disorientation ended quickly, though, as I came into contact with a tiled floor, rolling awkwardly out until I got a foot under me, standing quickly and looking around, furious and confused. I stood on an overlook, a massive, hundred-foot tall and wide globe ahead of me with various lights flickering all over it, a loud and excited workshop beneath me. Curioisty won out over anger, and I walked slowly to the golden railing, being careful not to touch the metal-looking contraption and looking over to see hundreds of workbenches, each filled with various toys in various stages of assembly.

Massive, white yetis were working away at a feverish pace, barely foot-tall elves scurrying about and causing havoc amoung the toys and yetis. The air reaked of pepermint and sawdust, everything a shade of red, green, or gold, everything incredibly ornate and put together in a nostalgic kind of way. Above the globe was a hole, almost a sun-roof where Manny shone down, though it was day wherever I'd been taken.

I let myself get taken away for just a moment, a small, almost familiar feeling of lightness, of happiness swarming around in my head, from the days...before...

"Welcome to workshop! I see you admire yetis work, yes, with Christmas coming up es veeery busy time for-" I spun around and grabbed a fist-full of his beard, yanking him down to my face-level as the others hopped out of the portal, eyes wide as I got my face close to the crazy Russians. His face fell a bit as I seethed, annoyance and anger making sparks around me blossom.

"Send. Me. Back."I spat in warning, North's face immediatly winking and shaking a finger at me.

"Ah, cannot do."He said calmly, and I yanked harder on the beard.

"What do you mean 'cannot do'?! You better damn well get me out of here or you'll figure out how that Fall spirit feels right about now."I saw a flash of fear in the others for a moment, but something was infuriatingly calm and mischevious about North's rosy face.

"You do not know way back, yes? Well, I do! And if you want to be taken back, you must hear us out first."He said, and I grit my teeth, trying to maintain a relatively under-control demeanor, though my anger-managment issues were acting up big time.

I hate the Guardians. They were asking for my help. I despised Manny. He was commanding them to get my help. I hated Pitch. They wanted me to fight against him. I loved Pitch. I had to fight against him. I just wanted to go to Boston. I was stuck in the North effin' Pole with no way to get back.

I hate my life.

In frustration, and hoping that I could get back to my normal routine as soon as possible, I shoved North away, only to hold out my palm and sent a massive flame of sparks into a controlled substance on my palm, the sparks cracking and exploding menacingly and making the others step back, Bunnymund going for his boomerangs. North, still standing calmly, watched me as I glared, begrudgingly saying,

"I'll listen. And then you send me back."

"Unless you agree to help."North added, and I scoffed, snapping my palm shut and extinguishing the sparks.

"Fat chance, fat man."I spat, but he didn't seem to hear me, instead manhandling me by grabbing me around the waist and throwing me over his shoulder, me shouting out in refusal while I caught a light, almost..pleasent sounding chuckle below me. I looked down, seeing an amused Bunnymund looking up at me.

I frowned and pointed to him, shooting out a spark that hit him right in the nose. He jumped back, and it was my turn to laugh at him, before looking over my shoulder as we walked down a hall.

I'd started today by causing a poweroutage in Texas. I was ending it being held captive by the very people I hated more than anything, being asked to do something I knew, from the moment North had made the deal with me, that I would refuse.

I would not help them defeat Pitch. I would get out of there after listening to their redundant and ridiculous points that I'll roll my eyes at and in the end I'll refuse and they'll have a choice to either take me back or get lit up like a Christmas tree. And then I'd go after Pitch, and I'd end it all, on my own, like it was meant to be...

Oh, if only things were that simple.


	4. Incessantly Cheerful

_-AN: Thank you for your wonderful reviews, seriously you rock. Also, in case anyone else noticed this, Boston was created thousands of years ago. And yet she has jeans and a tank top. And was named after an electronic device. Hm. But I took that liberty, seeing as how Jack was re-created 900 years ago and had a hoodie. Other than that, I hope you enjoy. This chapter isn't exactly exciting, but it sets up for more character interaction next chapter that I promise will be MUCH MORE interesting. Maybe some fluff? Who knows!-_

_-The North Pole- Boston's p.o.v****_

Five pairs of eyes, all looking at me with a streached anticipation, some with wide and nervous eyes, others avoiding my eye contact completely, others giving me an amusing glare with emerald green-irises. It had taken an hour to go over all of their points on why I should join them, an hour to try and convince me to join them and, together, take down Pitch. They listed them as if they'd rehersed it, sometimes hostile and other times gently insistant.

And I nodded, one foot up on the chair I sat on on one side of a massive oak desk, within a room that doubled as a century-old library, dust roaming through the air and out a partially-opened window. I leaned back, one arm relaxing over my knee, as I looked at them all seriously.

"You're right."I agreed, and even Bunny's stiff chest seemed to air-out a bit, Toothiana beaming wide and clasping her hands together. I shrugged and said calmly, "With the Five Guardians and me, who's known Pitch for almost his entire existance, we could stop Pitch before he does any real harm. With our combined power, we could make sure he doesn't do any more damage, ever again." North's face lit up, eyes wide and glittering as he held his massive arms out, almost knocking Bunny upside the head.

"So you join us!"He exclaimed.

"Nope."I threw back nonchalantly, pushing myself up into the air and doing an 'air staircase' walk down to the floor, hands in my pockets.

"Wha-what?!"Jack exclaimed, and I stopped, looking back at their stunned faces that, admittedly, made me laugh out loud. I shook my head and leaned forward a bit, hands balled into fists in my pockets.

"C'mon, seriously?"I asked, voice high and amused, "The only reason we could all defeat Pitch would be because I was with you. In case you all forgot, I _already _defeated Pitch once, and it took him 900 years to recover. Not just five. And that was only little ol' me, so sorry if I'm reluctant to help a bunch of 'Guardians' who couldn't take Pitch back in the Dark Ages, and can't take him now."

Once again, my eyes fell upon Bunnymund, who's fur seemed to be bristling with anger, paws in fists at his side as his eyes darkened, taking a step towards me before Jack cut him off.

"Wait, what do you mean you defeated Pitch before?"He asked in surprised innocence, and I gave him a calm, almost smiling, gaze.

"Aww, they didn't tell you? Guess no matter how many dictorial, massivly-powerful archvillians you defeat, if Manny don't like you you're whiped from the history books."I shrugged sarcastically, absentmindedly shaking a spark from my hair, the little thing dancing until it fell into the ground, leaving a burn mark on the polished wood.

I walked up to Jack, his eyes going a bit wider but not backing off. Here's to the little sprite, he might actually be growing on me. Calmly and paying careful attention to turn my back to Bunny, who's glare was seriously distracting my 'tough-angsty-heroine' routine, I leaned closer towards the cute little guy, noticing the chill given off his skin.

"Ya see, Frosty, way back in the Dark Ages, after Pitch turned on your little friends, Manny seriously needed him out of buisiness. While this lot was twiddling their thumbs over a way to save the children from their nightmares, I stepped in."I held my pointer finger up and made the sparks that appeared above it morph into jittery images.

The first was of Pitch, standing there with shadows flickering off his cloak like was his trademark, and an image of me popped into view, landing in front of Pitch and, after a slight pause, the two images lunged at eachother. Jack gasped and jumped back as a massive spark ignited, quickly, like a Fourth of July sparkler(love those things), before showing Pitch slowly shrinking into a hole in the ground, me standing there and brushing my hands off.

"So...what happened after that?"Jack asked, completely in awe. A small feeling of heroism rose up inside me, seeing his astonished if not easily amused face looking up at me like I was some super hero or something, as if he forgot himself that he was some super-powered being. And damnit, he was just like a child, and though I'd admit it to not one other than Pitch(to whom it didn't need to be admitted to), I had a massively soft spot for kids.

I shrugged, the sparks scattering around Jack's face in a more playful manner than they had done to Sandy, making him laugh and blow cold air on them, immediatly turning them into flakes of snow. I let my smile stay a bit longer before I placed my hand back into my pocket.

"Nothing."I stated simply, his face falling into a look of shock. "I went back to being the redheaded stepchild of the Guardian and spirit world, and the Big 4 went on being Big and foursome." Something flashed across the kid's eyes, a look that I didn't like. I really, really didn't like. I spun away from it, the look of...pity...behind me as I gave North a lopsided frown.

"You promised to take me back once I listened. Well, I listened, let's get cracking."I insisted, suddenly feeling even more anxious to get out. I'd never been around more people I loathed entirely in one little room, feeling an angry, pitying, terrified, skiddish, and ceaslessly jolly pair of eyes on me from every corner, and I felt a twisting in my gut and an uncomftorbleness that I wasn't used to.

North gave me a quick once-over before nodding and saying,

"Yes, I did promise to take you back...but I failed to specify when."

My face dropped at the fat, cunning bastard and anger began to kindle in my veins, involuntairy sparks firing out of my hair, making me look like the Heat Miser.

"Nicholas St. North, if you think you're actually _physically able _to keep me here, then I will be the first person to give you a nice reality check right in the-"

"Ah ah ah! We have young ears."He scolded, and my eyes widened at the ridiculousness of the situation. Since...since when did people begin to think they could actually talk to me like that?! I was that kid you avoided at all costs, even if it meant going around the other damn side of the globe! I was feared, and agreeably hated, by every spirit from Mother Nature to Cupid! No one, and I mean no one, talked to me completely calm and jokingly! It was insulting!

I flung an arm in Jack's direction to where North was insinuating and exclaimed,

"He's 300 freaking years old!"

"All the same!"North bellowed jolly-like, walking around the desk, actually having the gaul to get _close to me_. And when I say close, I mean I had to lean away to avoid getting a face full of his bowl of jelly. Two large hands planted themselves on my shoulders, and I instinctively flinched away. I immediatly tried to hide it, not wanting North to think that contanct meant I was scared of him. It was just a reflex I'd garnered over the years.

"Send me back now, or you're getting lit like a tree!"I shouted, seeing Bunny hop up next to North, looking grumpy with his arms crossed.

"I say let just let 'er go, mate. Betta' off without a'."He mummbled, and I flashed him a sarcastic smirk before North cut off whatever remark I was about to shoot back.

"Nonesense! Es cold and dark, and Pitch could be lurking anywhere. He will not be happy after lightshow, and as host I cannot allow guest to go out without proper night's rest."He insisted, wagging a finger at me. I had to take a second to process this...this...ridiculousness. And after that second, I needed a second more. Soon it turned into an entire minuet and I still had no idea what to think.

"...Did I make it clear I hate you? All of you? A lot?"I asked, legitimatly trying to confirm knowledge. With a never-fading smile, North nodded.

"Crystal."

"...And I hate Manny? And I'm a threat to society? And I'm not going to help you?"

"Understood."

"And I think all of you are about as smart as an empty sack?"

"Mhm."

"And I have literally every spirit itching at the chance to get some sort of revenge on me? But they're too scared because I horribly mutilated a fall spirit once?"

"Yes."

"...And you still want me to stay the night?"

"Indeed."

I starred at the man for a second, blinking far too much, just...stunned. My mind seemed to give up, walking out, as I tried to understand this man. That in and of itself failed, wondering why, despite everything, he wanted me to stay the night. He was either incredibly stupid or...no. No that's the only option I can think of.

"You are incessantly cheerful."I deadpanned, and he let out a laugh so loud I actually winced.

"Why thank you! Now let us prepare room!"North exclaimed as if this were some normal visit. Bunny's jaw dropped, eyes going wide in a perfect pantomime of how I felt.

"Did ya loose yer bloody mind, ya ol' date?!"Bunny exclaimed, but North brushed him aside, nodding a yeti standing at the door and saying,

"Prepare room for guest!" The yeti nodded and turned, leaving the room through the massive wooden doors as Tooth zipped up to North,

"North, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean I'm not saying Manny's wrong, but..."She trailed off in a small whisper, one I picked up on but was too busy deciding what to do to care about it. These were Guardians, people who were given a title I was stripped of for no reason. I was stronger than them by far. My loyalty to children went to extreme limints, willing to fight the one person who truley understood me to keep them safe. And yet I wasn't allowed to be one?

As if I wanted to, anyway. There was nothing good to being a Guardian. It didn't bother me that they were loved by thousands while I was hated by a number far larger than that. No, it did not bother me at all. But I was still allowed to hate them, these...these...hospitipal jackasses!...

But what would staying here, only for the night, do? It wasn't like they could hurt me. I didn't need rest, but I could use a night without Pitch, knowing that if I were anywhere but here that he would seek me out. And it might provide some space to think of how exactly I was going to keep said ex-lover out of my life and the dreams of children for good. And, if push came to shove, I could always sneak out in the middle of the night, flying an ridiculous length back to Boston.

Using this to persuade me, I awkwardly shrugged.  
"Just so long as I get to leave tomorrow."I laid out the request, and North beamed.

"Of course! Now please, make self at home for night! Kitchen, fireplace, workshop, all is open to guest!"North just kept piling it on, didn't he? He was beginning to make it painfully hard to hate his jolly old guts.

I immediatly pivoted, Bunny's exclamations behind me, walking up to the door and wanting nothing more than to shut myself up in whatever room I had and stay there until morning...

But there was one issue. I paused, hands shoved protectively in my pockets, looking awkwardly away from the souce of my issue like it could scold me by just making eye contact with the thing. After a lull in Bunnymund's bitching, all eyes turned to me. Self conciousness filled me as I turned my face to them, immediatly realizing that my foot was scuffing the ground and stopping it from showing any further embarrasment.

Bunny, of course, was the first to call me out.

"What? Ya don' know how ta open a door, ya gumby?"He mocked, eyebrow raised. Immediatly defensive, I glared and shot back,

"No, you overstuffed preschoolers pet!" He glowered, North placing a hand on his shoulder and asking in an infuriatingly gentle tone,

"Es something wrong then?" I paused a moment, eyes flickering between all of them. Perfect. Just perfect. Not only was I stuck with them, but now I had the pleasure of telling the group of people I hated most in this big, wide world my only...weakness, persay. Displeasure doesn't even begin to describe this.

I took in a big girl breath and mummbled,

"The door handle. What's it made out of?" Everyone gave me a look, as if I were actually as crazy as the rumors insisted I was, Jack leaning on his staff and saying cautiously,

"..Uh...metal? That a problem?" I shrunk into myself, surpressing sparks from the back of my neck and snapping,

"Yes. I can't touch it." Even standing this close, I could feel the radiating heat of the metal on my arm, inching it away and plastering it to my body as faces of surprise and utter confusion met my rapidly impatient temper.

"Why?"Toothiana asked, and I rolled my eyes, as if I'd tell them that!

"I'm just..._allergic_ to it, okay?! Now does someone wanna open this for me or do you want me to blast the thing off it's frickin' hinges?!"I snapped harshly, a heat spreading across my face, seeing questions in their eyes that I wasn't about to answer in this century or any other. I saw Jack open his mouth to ebb his constant flow of curiosity, but he was cut off.

"Well, get out ya gumby."Bunny's voice came from beside me, his paw holding the door open for me with a serious, unreadable look on his face. I hadn't seen him come up beside me, caught off guard and stumbling backwards, feeling a sharp heat approach my back, gasping, freezing as a paw grabbed my arm quickly.

An electric shock ran up my skin, a few miniature sparks dancing up and causing goosebumps to raise all the way up until my shoulder, right where the slightly-rough pad was pulling my arm from danger. The touch, combined with the sudden and odd electrical reaction, caused me to immediatly jolt from the Pooka's grasp. I pulled my arm quickly towards me and stepped awkwardly out of the room. I looked up for a second, seeing Aster's eyebrows pulled close together in confusion, arm still holding the door open.

And it happened again. That feeling. That tugging. That inability to even try to harm him for touching me, for scaring me. That electrical shock up my arm. All from him.

And suddenly, the overwhelming events from the past few minuets bearing down on me, never wanting my fourced solitude more than I did right now, I wanted to keep as much distance between me and this man as possible. Without a word, I turned and spun down the hall, walking as fast as I could into the darkness, a massive window casting moonlight down on me.

Without looking out, I mentally cursed the source of the light. Whatever game he was playing with me, whatever punishment he saw fit now for a crime I couldn't remember committing, I was not going to be a player. He couldn't make me, and neither could they.

Come tomorrow I was out of here, and away from them. Especially that damned Pooka and his glares and opening doors for me and eyes and touches and feelings. I'd met him a total of two times, and I already felt myself hating him the most out of all of them.

_-In North's Office- Bunnymund's p.o.v****_

I starred incredously out the door where the most confusing, hostile individual I'd ever met stormed out, after I'd _helped _ her. I'd sensed how uncomftorble she was getting, and told myself that the reason for opening the door for her was to avoid getting the entire bloody workshop blown to pieces. And yet there was no excuse for grabbing her arm, or the immediate shock of electricity that seemed to snake into my skin from the contact, or her sudden outburst.

It was going to be a long night.

"North, ya know this Ain't gonna work, right?"I snapped at him, turning to the ol' fat man as he kept a small smile on his face, despite the snarky remarks made by that little punk. He didn't even look down at me as he shrugged and said,

"Es nice to do." My jaw dropped, and I seriously began to worry about his mental health. A nice thing to do? Did he not know who he was talking about?! Boston. Boston, the only Ex-Guardian and the only spirit even I wouldn't wanna cross paws with. Wherever she went she left chaos and seriously shaken spirits, if said spirits were unlucky enough to meet her. She blatantly curses Manny, refuses our request for help, dogs us, and then just storms out!

And North wanted to do something nice for her.

"...Lost yer bloody mind."I deadpanned, Jack flying lazily up to us on his back, looking at the ceiling and shrugging.

"I don't know. I kind of like her."He mused, and Tooth followed up with,

"I mean...she is a bit...abrasive. But she did defeat Pitch, so she's not really bad when you think about it!" I couldn't believe it. Were these gumbys seriously sticking up for the kid who just blatantly insulted us and, no exaggeration, hates our guts for no reason what-so-ever? Sometimes I was seriously concerned about this group.

The only one silent was Sandy, who wasn't even giving a sand image above his head, just sitting there on his cloud and looking out the window, up at Manny who shone bright in the sky. He looked almost as if he, too, were asking Manny a question, with a sad look on his face. That was another thing, Boston had hurt Sandy. Maybe not physically, but the little guy seemed out of it since North first mentioned her. No wonder, seeing as how he was found more fit to be Guardian.

Of anyone, she probably held the biggest grudge against him. And I wouldn't stand for it. These mentally questionable knuckleheads were my friends, and I wouldn't let anyone harm them in any way.

"Yer all bonkers!"I exclaimed, crossing my arms and turning, wanting to just get to my room and then back to the Warren as fast as possible. Before I could leave through the now-open door, North's voice made me pause.

"Maybe we are right. Inside, Boston could be kind person, just hidden by hardened shell...we know someone like that, do we not?" And suddenly an image appeared in my head.

Easter Sunday. I was just getting my breath back from being thrown against a tree, a girl with shockingly bright yellow hair in front of me, vibrant yellow eyes, and an untamed look about her. I was sure she was going to hurt me, to destroy the entire bloody forest and the eggs within them. After all, I'd heard only bad, terrible stories about this girl. Her dark and hardened eyes, sharp and painful. She caused destruction..

And yet, she didn't. She didn't hurt me, she didn't destroy the forest. In fact, if I really focused on the memory, I could almost envision the small bit of hesitation in her eyes, her body stiffening for a second. It was one of the most confusing moments in my existance, and I'd spent an unhealthy few years afterwards wondering why she didn't do what I'd expected, what she did to others. A freak incident was what I chalked it up to, not allowing the anarchist anymore room in my mind.

And now she was back in the most unexpected way.

"Shove it, North. I'm headin' ta bed."I mummbled, fur bristling at his implication, shaking myself from my thoughts. No, even if something had shown in her eyes back then that was different from how everyone saw her, from the hard, rough, tough, unstable and dangerous spirit, even if she might have show a moment of hesitation and kept Easter intact when she had the full power to destroy it. Even if something like that had happened, there was nothing sweet or kind inside of her. Nothing.

Not even when she was kind to Jack. There couldn't be anything remotely decent within her. Or else Manny would have kept her as a Guardian, because he wouldn't have just gotten rid of her for no reason...

Right?


	5. Sweet Hot Chocolate

_-And now for interaction. Please tell me if you think this is moving Boston's character along too fast. And if you are craving more fluff, or have possible character pairings you want to see, I shall oblige as much as I can! Love you guys-_

_-The North Pole- Boston's p.o.v****_

The snowfall was slow and lazy, as if the little flakes themselves were falling asleep and drifting into snowbeds to sleep. Maybe that's why they were called 'snowbeds'. I let myself think of this as I brooded, legs indian-style and sitting at a massive window on the workshop level, the tables bare and fireplace slowly embering out. I shot back a spark, hitting the wood and immediatly flaring it up a bit, until settling down into a small flame.

Turning back to the window, I sighed. It had to be about midnight, but I wasn't tired. At least, I was telling myself I wasn't, just to keep myself from falling asleep in enemy territory. It was a trait I'd accquired, along with avoiding contact of any kind. I'd been burned more than once, no more than three times, by spirits getting their revenge on my helplessness when I slept. Call me paranoid, but even with the Guardian's 'pureness' and 'kindness', I wasn't takning any chances in letting them catch me off guard-

"Can't sleep?"

"Holy Hell!"I exclaimed, jumping and smacking my shoulder against the window, Tooth fluttering quickly back before relaxing, realizing she'd snuck up on me and almost made me piss myself. With a delicate and kind smile, she touched the ground with her feet and said,

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you, I just saw you awake and thought you could use something to ease your nerves." It was then that I realized what she was holding in her hands. A smooth, small, white mug with an image of a dancing candy cane on the side, steam raising in elegant swirrls from a brown liquid inside of it. I gave it a suspicious look, one that I flickered up to Tooth for a moment.

She continued to give me a sticky-sweet smile, fluttering up to me and placing the mug in my hands, pressing my back to the window to bring distance between me and the fairy. She didn't seem to notice, and if she did she ignored it, as she stood just as close to me and said in her high voice,

"It's hot chocolate, my personal favorite blend. It gives you that nice soothing feeling, like sitting around a fire on a snowy night. Sugar free of course!"She pipped up, and I resisted the urge to tell her that I was already sitting near a fire on a snowy night, and my nerves were shot. I looked at the liquid, not exactly trusting something of which I didn't know the ingrediants.

I was still under the impression that this was some game Manny was playing, and that his little Guardians were involved in it. Like bullies on a playground, except these bullies had supernatural powers and the support of the entire Moon on their side. So yes, I was a bit skeptical of this abnormally kind gesture.

"You know, you can trust us. At least while you're here."Toothiana mused, and I jumped a bit, as if she could read my thoughts...or was it that obvious? I was seriously hoping the latter. I remained silent, the warm drink slightly burning at my palms through the ceramic mug, pulling myself in a bit closer while still trying to appear confident in front of this strange woman.

Tooth, though, just gave me a sticky-sweet smile again, one so big she had to close her eyes to achieve it, and swooped down before I could protest. She placed a quick, innocent kiss on my forehead and then flew away, saying as if nothing was wrong,

"Sleep tight! And remember to brush your teeth!"

All I could do was stare, dumbstruck, as the fairy flew up to the overlook and down the hall to where the guest rooms were. I hadn't even taken a look into mine, storming off after that encounter with that damned Pooka, deciding to just roam around this massive workshop. I found myself...oddly comftorble with it. Maybe not the people within it, but the building itself I found very appealing. It was built exactly like a city, with alley-like hallways, tall pires, construction noises, twist-and-turns, smoke here and there, a mixture of smells, and even some amazing, twinkling Christmas lights decorating the walls and ceilings that made me feel a bit more at ease than I should have.

"You'll have to excuse Tooth,"Jack's voice came, floating down in front of me from an adjacent hallway, landing smoothly and smiling in the direction that the fairy had flown, "She's a bit affectionate sometimes...like, smotheringly so. I'm just surprised she hasn't tried to check your teeth yet!"He laughed, something in his eye as he described the woman, turning back to me with a wide and innocent smile that immediatly set me at ease, if just a bit.

I scoffed and scooted back, back pressed against the cold glass, rolling my eyes.

"Like hell am I letting her that close again. Her and North could use a lesson on personal space."I muttered, Jack letting out a soft chuckle, leaning an elbow on the crook of his staff. His eyes darted to the drink in my hand, and I looked away a bit, not quite sure if it were really dangerous or not now.

"Ahh, Tooth's hot chocolate. May I reccomend sugar packets? And lots of them?"Jack mused cooly, pulling a hand out of his hoodie and revealing a handful of miniature sugar packets. Jack's innocence and my disability in the field of childish antics were the only reasons I smiled freely in front of him, knowing he wouldn't think too much into it. I took a few of the packets and balanced the mug on my lap, tearing them open and pouring them into the still-suspicious looking drink.

After the fifth one, greatly glad that spirits couldn't get diabetes, I tenatively lifted it to eye-level. Every instinct I had told me not to drink it, to set it down and stay as far away from it as possible. And those instincts had never failed me before...

"Aw c'mon! It's not poison!"Jack joked lightly, not knowing how on-target that was. I looked up at him for a second, torn between leaving the drink and taking a sip just to get that hopeful look off the kid's face. After a few seconds of looking at it tenatively, he got a small glint in his eye and snatched the mug from me.

"Hey!"I called out, but he didn't listen, taking the massive handle and dipping it back, taking a massive swing of the liquid himself. I stared wide-eyed at him, not believing he was actually doing this to just diminish any thoughts I had of them poisoning me as some sick kind of joke, until he finally pulled the mug away and let out a content sigh, a massive brown mark on his upper-lip from the drink and a massive smile on his face.

"See? Perfectly fine! I promise, I wouldn't let those guys put metal shavings in your drink."He winked, confidently handing the mug over to me, eyes shining like little dots of snow. Once again, I'd been thrown out of my comfort zone, expecting them to be stuck-up pricks who took Manny's word as law and made it their job to make my life miserable. Instead they were...actually kind of nice, to be honest. Hospitibal, if not annoyingly chipper(excluding Bunnymund and the stick lodged firmly up his arse).

And if I really thought about it, the only who ever really did me any harm was Sandy. So maybe they wouldn't poison me. The kid didn't seem the type anyway, and he'd already taken a sip... Throwing caution to the preverbial wind, I placed the mug to my lips and tilted it back, sucking in until I finally got some of the liquid...

I sputtered and coughed, placing the mug beside me and exclaiming,

"Damnit, kid, how sweet do you make shit?! I felt like I was drinking syrup!" Jack's laugh echoed off the walls as he looked at me, holding his stomach as I tried to swallow down the sweet taste in my mouth.

"Hey, I'm a 300 year old kid, what do you expect?"Jack defended between laughing fits, and I frowned, a finger on my chest as I said,

"Hey, how old do I look?" Jack stopped for a second, raising an eyebrow in actual thought, before saying,

"You're thousands of years old, right?...But you look about 19."

"Wrong, guess again."I prodded, a smirk playing on my lips. Jack's face twisted in severe concentration, thinking and thinking, until he guessed,

"18?"

"Noppers."

"20?"

"Nah."

"21!"

"Sorry, kid, but you're not even close."I mused, crossing a leg over the other one and laying an arm across my knee, Jack pouting a bit before, suddenly, beaming.

"Hey! If I can guess youre real age, will you help us?"He asked in such a hopeful, excited voice, almost bouncing on his feet, staff clutched close to his chest. And his eyes, damnit, were like the eyes of kids when I sent a mini firework into their room, turning it into a shape that could soothe them before they fell back asleep. Wide, full of wonder and fun and innocence.

Against popular thought, I was not totally heartless. And this kid was playing whatever heart I had left. Groaning and dropping the back of my head onto the window, I mummbled,

"Fine, kid." He was about to say something, I could just feel it, but I leaned forward and said seriously,

"But not now. Mull it over while you're asleep, Frosty." He smiled and nodded, taking off into the air and shooting away, calling over his shoulder,

"23?"

"Keep guessing!"I called back, shaking my head. I had to get out of this area, it seemed to be Guardian central, and I couldn't take anymore emotional turmoil today.

"I swear, if my room has freaking candy canes on the walls, I'm sitting on the roof."

_-A Few Minutes Later-_

I slammed my head back against the wall for the tenth time, closing my eyes and groaning,

"Why. Me." I looked again at my room, with a little sign on the doorknob with my name written in precise cursive. The metal doorknob. I was litterally three seconds away from tearing the whole thing down. And those seconds passed quickly.

Finally fed up, I aimed a finger at the lock, sparks beginning to ignite on the end as I perfected my shot, one eyes closed as I almost released them.

"Don' think North would be to happy 'bout that, mate."I jumped and looked up, body plastered to the wall as I panted and my heartrate got back to normal. The blue-shaded bunny stood against the wall, arms crossed and a small, quite frown sent my way. I bristled, wondering if he thought he looked like some big-shot in that pose.

Really, he just looked like a moody, teenage kangaroo.

"Hell, why don't you just give me a freaking heart attack, kangaroo."I snapped, his eyes going wide for a second before he snarled, snapping right back with just as much venom,

"Keep up yer act and I jus' might." I gave a sarcastic smirk, shoving my hands into my pockets and leaning forward a bit, making the Pooka lean back.

"Aww, now that wouldn't look well in Manny's all-seeing eyes, would it? But what does that matter, he's got Sandy doesn't he?"I rolled my eyes, a bit of bitterness pulling at the back of my neck. Really, I just wanted to put distance between me and that rabbit, that odd electric ting barely ghosting over me again, for just a moment, as he looked at me again.

"Bitta'?"He asked, almost...curiously, but laced with mock that I couldn't look over. I scoffed loudly, turning to the window behind me to try and ease the static cling and said in complete seriousness,

"More like amused. That fat little man can deal out pretty sweet dreams, I'll give him that. Put those suckers right to sleep. But what happens when black sand touches them, huh? They become the complete oppisite of what they used to be. They become evil and spread like the Plague, doesn't seem too worth it, huh?"Bunny didn't answer, just stood there.

And yet for some reason I kept going. Something about this Pooka that I didn't understand, adding to a list too long for my comfort, that I felt the need to...vent, almost, to him. And that was a big deal to me. Hell, the last person that I vented to was Pitch, 900 years ago, so why I was completely comftorble with this now was beyond me. Nonetheless, I kept going.

"If I weren't around, this whole nightmare situation would have gotten out of control way before Pitch rose again. I'm the only one out of the two who can actually fight back against the nightmares. He can throw Pitch around as much as he wants, but when it comes to the things that would be around with or without the King of Nightmares, I'm those kids only hope."I finished a bit quieter than intended, eyes catching Manny quickly and glaring, having explained all of this to him before, having shouted it to him, and yet...

And yet here I was. Talking to a giant anthrapamorphic bunny in the North Pole and completely unable to open my door. And not a Guardian.

"If ya hate us so much, why didn't ya ruin Easta' all those years back?"Bunny asked, and I froze. My eyes went wide and, for a moment, I was lost for words. Great, just like the guy to remember that one thing that I couldn't explain myself. I didn't know why. I didn't know why I couldn't hurt him. I didn't know why an electric field surrounded my skin whenever he was around me. I didn't know why his touch did that to me. I didn't know why I talked to him like I did.

What I did know was that I was done with this conversation.

"Just be lucky I didn't."I snapped, turning and walking past him.

"Oi, ain't ya gonna get some sleep?"He asked, and I rolled my eyes, turning to him and saying calmly,

"I don't sleep where I don't trust people." His eyes narrowed a bit...but not in anger. In..something. Something like thought, or a dark realization, or..something. Something. Something behind me. My body tensed and bits of electricity ran up and down my spine in ferverent warning, a presence all too familiar to misunderstand.

My stomach dropped a bit and anger twisted along my ribs. My eyes narrowed and I spat,

"That son of a bitch."

"Wha-"

I spun around, cutting Bunny off as the shadow on the left wall began to peel forward, turning into the sillouhette of a man, me too focused on it to realize there were shadows creeping up behind us until a massive furry frame slammed into mine, sending us both flying out of the hallway and onto the overlook, skidding across the floor. I rolled and sat up, glaring as the shadow slunk forward, into the light, showing much more detail until, finally...

I raised an eyebrow and mused much calmer than I actually was,

"Oh, hey babe." Pitch looked down at me, clearly not expecting to see me here but not showing any extreme surprise, giving an identical raise of an eyebrow and saying in a voice you would use to greet a friend you weren't expecting,

"Oh, darling. Wasn't expecting you here."

I felt Bunny's head whip around to me, almost feeling his shock and confusion and taking all of my will power not to outright laugh in his face, still looking calmly up at Pitch.

"Wait a bloody second! Darlin'? Babe?!"Bunny exclaimed, both Pitch and me ignoring him.

"They kind of kidnapped me. I'm a victim, really."I mused, shrugging and standing up, brushing myself off. Pitch's amused chuckle made me look up at bit as he shook his head.

"You, a victim. Now _that's _ something I'd like to see."He said airily, and I smirked, feeling a wave of electricity trace my wrist and ball up in my palm. Pitch's eyes narrowed and a thin smile wound onto his face, eyes glowing with challenge I knew too well.

"Unfortunatly, you wont get to see it, if it ever does happen."I said in an apologetic tone, throwing the ball in the air and catching it like a baseball, adrenaline already running, all of the pent-up emotions from the day balling up into an energy source worth venting. Pitch was immediatly encircled in a line of sand, spiralling around him as he mused darkly,

"Funny. I thought I'd be able to see it...right now?"


	6. Authors Note

Hi Guys! Author note, I know I'm sorry! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm leaving on a field trip to New York and will not be able to update probably until monday. Sorry but ill miss you all and will bee thinking of awesome new ideas for Spark in one of the best lighted cities! Until then, review, and tell me your favorite city and ill try to include it! Love all of you!


	7. Sweet Talk

_-Oh. My. Gosh. When I wrote that author's note, I was seriously not expecting to get home at midnight to find 17 REVIEWS AND OVER A THOUSAND READS! You all are seriously amazing. Your well-wishes for me in New York were so kind and all of the reviews were amazing. I'm going to attempt to add in every city you have all sent me through your reviews and while in New York, as expected, I found some awesome new ideas. I think that if Boston went to New York(that was so weird typing that) then she would have loved it. Amazing ideas for fluff as well! Continue to tell me your thoughts and whatever you want! I love you guys, you are the best!-_

_-The North Pole- Boston's p.o.v****_

"Wait a bloody second! What's goin' on here?"Bunny demanded, stepping up to me as I stared down Pitch, just itching to get a piece of him after what he did with those nightmares in Brooklyn Heights, thinking he could just come waltzing right back into my life. I barely gave Bunny a flicker of my eyes, little sparks dancing along the arm closest to him as I moved it to rest my hand on my hip, the large Pooka taking a step away from it and eyeing it suspiciously.

Pitch raised an eyebrow, a genuinly amused smirk on his face as he asked,

"Oh, they don't know? I would think, finding you here, that you would have told your new...allies...everything." I tensed, gritting my teeth and immediatly moving my hand, streaching my arm and flicking my wrist forward, sending a streak of sparks jetting at Pitch, who barely had enough time to comically dodge out of the way, a mildly distressed look on his face.

"They are _not _my allies! Not anymore than you are!"I snapped, and he brushed off his shoulder before saying airily,

"Oh, I would think I'm much more of an ally to you, considering all that we've been through."

"Considering all we've been through, I'd think you'd finally get the hint to stay down when I kick you."I spat back, throwing another flash of electricity, Pitch ducking again and retaliating immediatly, a massive shadow blocking my vision as it crashed into me, coming from the wall behind me and wrapping around, moving back before it slammed me into the wall and my vision doubled.

"Boston!"Bunny shouted, with something that sounded surprisingly like...concern, in his voice. I shook it along with my head, glaring up at a still calmly-smiling Pitch, anger searing in my veins like white fire, his confidence and knowledge of victory getting under my skin and stirring the energy beneath. I seethed and released a massive wave of energy, a transparent wave of sparks slamming forward, watching his eyes open wide in surprise before he was wrappedup in them and thrown up into the ceiling, then peeled sideways and smashed against a wall, knocking down toys, until I finally released him and watched him fall painfully to the floor.

The sparks swarmed me like worried children, helping me stand, just as massive footsteps and three other forms appeared on the steps to my left.

"Vat es all noise going on about?!"North shouted, and I debated getting him Rosetta Stone for a moment before I turned to him, completely calm after that theriputic release of energy, and mused,

"I can't sleep because I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, and I can't even pick you up, Bunny's being a brooding jackass, I just knocked down some toys, and oh by the way, Pitch is here." I turned, as if it were no big deal as the other Guardians shot up next to North, eyes wide and jaws dropped, tensing as Pitch managed back to his feet, using the wall for support with his other hand pressed against his head.

"Glad to see you too, darling."He mused sarcastically.

"Listen, babe, I'd love to talk, but honestly this is getting boring and I have to catch a ride out of here."I said tiredly, seeing Jack stumble as he almost fell out of the air, their eyes on me. I inwardly groaned, not wanting them to pester me about this as much as Bunny already had. This had to end quick, and I had to get to Boston even quicker.

"I see, so now they're giving you rides home? What's next, pillow fights? Sleepovers? Maybe you already had those."I stiffened as he dropped into the ground, knowing full well that he was appearing behind me, leaning over and taunting me in that voice that I hated, the voice that knew my vices and how to push my buttons. It was smooth and low, coaxing and mocking. And it worked.

"My my, how quickly you've changed, little one. It seems just yesterday you were swearing vengence on these very people you now seem to be so buddy-buddy with. What was it you said once? That you'd rather the world go dark before you joined them?"I felt a shiver go up my spine, invisible, as I quickly whipped around, only to see him drop back into the floor and re-appear behind me again, whispering coaxingly in my ear, "I suppose it's my job to supply the darkness, then?"

"NO!"I shouted, spinning and slamming him into the wall across from me, electricity beginning to buzz in the air, reacting to my sudden outburst. Pitch was playing dirty, and I cursed myself for not remembering how well he truley knew me, how he could figure out that something was wrong from just one look into my eyes. He was smart enough to piece together the puzzle.

A small hint of victory danced in his eyes, gleaming in a way that I wanted nothing more than to snub out. I denied it inwardly, all of his accusations. I was not on their side. They were not my allies. I was not having a freaking sleepover! And I would rather die than join them. Then again, I'd rather die than let Pitch rule the world.

My life was too complicated.

"Hmm, is that so? Then tell me: what is the most powerful being on Earth doing here with the people she detests, the ones who have everything she can't? Who follow that one man who took everything from you?"He listed as he slowly stalked towards me, unharmed, eyeing me like a puppet. That's what he was trying to make me, and I fought to convince myself of this. The things he said were just lies, trying to get under my skin.

And they were working a bit too well. I suddenly felt my chest tighten, body buzzing with electricity as a shiver ran up my spine, muscles tightening, fury. A fury put into the most dangerous being on the planet, and I suddenly felt the urge to leave. Not because I was uncomftorble. Not because I was surrounded by people I hated. But because I was well aware of my fury, and the conciquences of having all of this unlimited power stored up within me, reacting to my emotions. Normally, I tried to remain calm. Calm was an emotion we can control, and in that state my powers are under my complete will.

Fury. Anger. Those are things you'll never be able to control, such strong emotions that block out your brain, and my energy, my power, immediatlly reacts. It's like dousing a fire in lighter fluid. Like a ticking bomb about to burst. All the emotions that people let out in anger were let out, in myself, as...destruction. Destruction that I couldn't get undercontrol.

All for a few accusations, sprinkled on top of the worst of my life in the past thousand years. And, considering my life, that was saying something. And somewhere, deep inside, not for the first time I cursed myself for having ever let Pitch get so close to me.

No, I felt the need to leave for a peculiar reason...

I didn't want to cause the destruction of Santoff Claussen. I knew that if I didn't keep my temper undercontrol(Like trying to hold back a heard of elephants with a plastic spoon) then the entire place and everyone within it would suffer damage I'd rather not think about. And that, in itself, made me almost pass out from the dizzying fury inside me. I wanted to protect them? These...these...

Guardians! It was sick and twisted and I hated them and I hated me but right now, about all else, I hated Pitch. And if I were going to vent my anger, to calm down, I had to get as far from him as possible, even if it meant flying through this ice-block. Sparks igniting around me, making the others jump back a bit, I took in a deep breath, hoping I could hold out long enough to get far enough away.

"Boston!"Jack shouted, shocked as I felt a small, sudden twinge of guilt for leaving. I was leaving because if I didn't he would get hurt, and yet I felt guilty for leaving. If I'd known how much of a headache this night would have turned out to be, I would have left when I had the chance. I avoided eye contact with Pitch, shooting up into the air and curving, the shouts below being ignored as my anger grew and seethed, barely making it over the globe and out of the small sunroof before the first burst of electricity exploded from my body, hundreds of feet above Santoff Claussen.

It was uncontrollable, a feeling building up in me like water in a bottle until it burst, the edges straining and popping until, finally it was released. I'd made it my job to regulate these temper tantrums, these bursts that I couldn't control, only isolate and struggle against as energy berated my body and tore through it. This wasn't the innocent, exciting feeling the light usually gave me. It wasn't comforting like when I was hurt or upset. It wasn't pumping like it was when I got excited. It wasn't even irritated like it got around Guardians and other spirits.

I grunted loudly, and was barely able to use the explosion to move, body shaking and racked with energy, searing red-hot, body painfully tensed, the sparks shooting from me and engulfing me like I'd just fallen into a lake and these were the bubbles that would surround me, a cloud and that writhing and angry and whipping around, strands shooting around from me.

No, this didn't feel like it normally did. This, even to me of all people, felt dangerous. Every pent-up emotion, an anger unusually high, exploding in tangible, kinetic energy. And this was only a small one.

_-One Hour Later in a Forest Near Memphis, Tenn.- Boston's p.o.v****_

Flying all that way had dwindled the outburst down quickly, preventing how bad it could have truley gotten. It had caused a power outage along the western coast of America and destroyed some forests in Canada, but from experience, it could have been so, so much worse.

Now, with the extreme power leaving me, I crashed emotionally. My body was spent, and so was my mind. I finally felt my power and energy dwindle, clumsily crashing through the tops of trees and landing on my feet, falling limply to my knees once my legs gave out. I felt like someone had just wrung my brain and wracked my emotions, like I was a worn-out cloth inside and I was just so...tired. So tired, so overwhelmed.

This had gotten out of hand fast, I had made too many mistakes and now I'd paid the concequences I'd learned to avoid over my years. Never let Pitch get to you. Never trust the Guardians. Never let people close to me. Never protect anyone but the children. Never trust anyone. I'd spent what, 6 hours with them, and now look at the mess I was in!

I'd let them keep me there after kidnapping me. I'd grown to like the Frost boy. Maybe even Tooth and North grew on me. Bunny, that giant furry bastard, was making my energy act weird, making sparks shoot up my arms at his touch. Sandy...oh, he was same as ever. And now Pitch had even more ammo against me, using it to manipulate the mind he knew well, too well. I wanted to wake up from this and have it all be a dream.

I was exauhsted, emotionally and mentally, that not even the lights of Memphis could calm me down. Now, I crouched in a dark forest, night above me with the green-saturated, thick trees above me completely blocking the moon, making shadows streach along the thick green grass, lay over me as I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around my torso, feeling like my body was weak and worn and tattered. I hated this. Hated feeling weak. I wasn't weak, I was just...exauhsted.

From all of the shadows over the thick, abandoned forest, I wasn't surprised when a strangely soft, delicate hand barely ghosted over my back and lightly touching my neck, almost not there and sending a shiver through my body again, like it always did, without fail. I grit my teeth as I easily relaxed to the touch, to the feeling it envoked no matter what I did.

"I hate you."I spat venomously, and the hand stilled on the nape of my neck, unthreateningly. Peacefully. Calmingly. A mood swing like no other.

"You do not."He whispered back, and I suddenly stood and whipped around, Pitch looking up at me, still crouched, face calm and unreadable. I clenched my fists, gut twisting as I felt like a child. Frustrated, because with every other spirit and Guardian I envoked enough fear and respect to act calm and threatening, to get then as far away from me as possible, have a little fun with being in control.

But it was different around Pitch. Around him I felt weak, I felt futile and pathetic like a child, a puppet. And yet something inside me drew me to him. I shouted, feeling more juvenile than ever,

"How would you know?! All you ever do, all you've ever done, is use me! Use my powers, manipulate me! You made me let you get close to me and now you know full well how you can play my mind, that I let you in and it was a mistake, a mistake you planned from the beginning. And now what do you think you're doing? Letting nightmares out on the only things I care about! You've taken my life and made it a living nightmare, and we both know I'm not strong enough to wake up.."I stopped, panting.

Pitch quickly stood and, in a flourish of his robe, gripped my upperarms and shoved me backwards, against a tree in an almost rough insistence. Before I could make empty protests, his body was close to mine and I felt a soft, slightly cold but soothingly warm, pair of lips against my own, pressing softly and uncharacteristically. I betrayed myself again, eyes slowly closing as I pushed my own lips back, both of us pressing our mouths hard together in anger and passion.

His hands moved up to my neck, fingers on my jaw and lightly pulling my face closer to his, smelling ash and cold and darkness, hands pressed firmly against the tree as the rough bark bit into my skin, doing everything possible not to grab a hold of him. I wouldn't let him have that kind of control, despite the fact that with this one kiss he had me again. One little kiss was all it took. I was truley pathetic. If anyone saw me like this now, they wouldn't think I was some big, bad, dangerous entity.

They'd realize I'm just a pathetic little child with emotional issues.

Slowly, Pitch pulled back, hands remaining on my jaw and face just millimeters from mine, still feeling his creeping heat. His eyes were looking into mine, a look almost genuinly honest and...and something I could never place.

"It would be a mistake to join them. They, in the end, will lose. They all will, every last one of them, immortal and mortal..."He whispered, breath against my lips like a shadow of its own. I was panting and caught between a look of glaring anger and sorrow and frustration, eyebrows pulled slightly, mouth slightly ajar. A hatred twisted in my chest, but his next words threw them away. Pitch was always cold and manipulating. His words measured. His softness planned.

But sometimes, in a fleeting, rare moment, I could swear he was almost...genuine.

"My offer still stands..."He whispered, eyes narrowing a bit, looking down for a moment and leaning his face in, almost touching mine, "For you, it always will."

And just like that, in a snap of invisible fingers, a torrent of shadows, he was gone. Leaving me alone to slump down against the tree behind me, knees pulled up, one hand lacing through my hair and the other around my stomach, leaning forward as pain wracked me. Everytime.

"Every damn time."I whispered, laughing bitterly at myself.

"..Is that why ya wont join us?" I jumped, looking over with slight defense and anger as Bunnymund looked down at me, emerging from the shadows and leaning an arm against a tree, eyes narrow and dark but not in a condescending or spiteful way. Thoughtful, arms crossed, looking at me and making another spark emit from my neck.

"Get out!"I snapped, but he didn't even flinch. His eyes wandered to where Pitch was, and I felt a blush dance across my face. Why did the thought of him seeing that kiss make me feel so...guilty? What was with that, the guilt he made me feel? I hadn't felt it until tonight, and now...

"He manipulates ya."Bunny said, darkly, not expecting a response though I gave him one.

"It's none of your buisiness! Why do you care?...Why did you follow me?"My voice was far too quiet at the end, almost like a frightened child, curious. He looked down at me, moving closer and, for a reason unknown, I didn't move away. Maybe it was because he was being...gentle.

Gentle was not something people were with me. They touched me to hurt me. They advanced to hurt me. They looked at me to scare me. But...but he wasn't doing any of that. In fact, he looked...almost calming, as if he were almost understanding, like he was trying to comfort me...

And there goes the god dammned sparks again.

I hid them with my hand, unlacing it from my hair and rubbing it up and down, giving Bunny a suspicious glare as he continued to give me a look that I not only did not understand, but also caught me off guard. He was usually either glaring at me or...well, that was pretty much it. We'd known eachother for a combination of 6 hours, and we already had a bad track record with each other. We made it very clear how much we would rather not deal with the other, something involving 'personality clashes', as I'd overheard North say to Tooth as I'd wandered the halls.

Well, this was one hell of a personality clash. And yet, here we were, and I didn't know what to do, because I'd never actually been approached this way before by anyone other than Pitch, and he had hidden motives to it. But...I had a horrible, terrible, awful feeling that Bunny had no hidden motives. He'd never given me a reason to think otherwise, neither had the Guardians. They'd treated me with a kidness that put me on edge.

They worked for Manny. And he, certainly, had done me wrong...but I did have to begrudgingly admit that none of them had personally harmed me. Maybe...maybe not even that fat little thing. I mean...Bunny was here. I'd left in a bit of a scene. And yet...

"Why did you follow me?"I demanded, trying to sound tougher than I felt, curled against a tree. He looked down at me like it was obvious, but I remained defensive and silent. Finally, something like recognition tinted his eyes, and he said calmly,

"Ya looked like ya were about ta have a bloody breakdown. Wanted ta make sure ya were alrigh'."

I glared and asked, frustrated,

"What is it with you guys?!" He seemed a bit taken aback, but I continued, "You all treat me like an old friend you used to play cards with, when the other spirits know damn well that I hate all of you! I made that clear, and yet here you all are, being kind and considerate and welcoming! What have I done to deserve any of that, huh?" He stared for a moment, just pausing, and then stood up to his full height.

"Ya eva' think tha' maybe the whole world ain't out ta get ya, sheila?"He asked, eyebrow raised airily.

"You've clearly never seen my life."I deadpanned in an almost joking manner, a strange feeling in my chest that seemed almost light and relaxed despite how I should be feeling. Bunny looked down at me and crossed his arms, shrugging in a light and cool way, emerald green eyes flicking down to me for a moment. Managing to surpress the sparks rising from that mild eye contact, I felt my mind work itself to a conclusion.

Against my will, might I add. You know, those moments when your mind flicks to a solution that you adimantly denied coming to, and all of a sudden it seems, begrudgingly, the best way. The...dare I say it...right way. And I got to a whole new level of self-hatred as I grumbled. Had I not made that pit stop to admire Brooklyn's taste in lighting, I wouldn't be in this mess.

I wouldn't have been kidnapped. They wouldn't have been nice to me. I wouldn't have struggled with hating them because of that. Pitch wouldn't have made me cause that scene. Bunny wouldn't be here. Everything I ever convinced myself of wouldn't have been wrong. And I wouldn't have stood up.

But I had, and so I did. I stood up, brushing myself off as Bunny gave me a mildly surprised look. Wanting nothing more than to speed this up, I crossed my arms at him and raised an eyebrow.

"So?"I asked, and he looked around, as if the answer were on the trees.

"So...what?"He asked, and I rolled my eyes, sighing.

"What the hell do we do now, Steve Irwin? Pitch ain't gonna stay quiet for long."I mused, hands on my hips as I watched his expression turn from one of insult, to confusion, to utter shock. His eyes widened comically and his ears even went back a bit, in a gesture I found almost cute, stuttering before asking,

"Whadaya mean by 'we'?"

"You wanted my help, right? Well here it is. Now, do we have to stay at that ice block? Because if we do, it better damn well have cable."I explained, turning and walking past him calmly, looking for a spot to shoot out of.

"...Yer gonna help us?"

"That's kind of the implication."

"Why the sudden change-"

I spun around to face him, realizing we were a bit closer than before, feeling his heat.

"Listen, do you want the help or not?"I snapped, using that as the excuse for the trail of sparks down my neck as he breathed lightly, it trailing a bit on my face. He paused a second, and then relaxed with a cocky grin on his face, lighting up his eyes in a way that I could highly appreciate, like someone placed little Christmas lights inside an emerald stone.

"North's got rooms fer us, feels it's safer tha' way."He mused, and I rolled my eyes and groaned, already finding ten things wrong with that. Bunny held up his paws and said, "Ya can throw in yer two cents lata'. Now, I suggest you take a deep breath." It was my turn to give him a curious look, demanding,

"Why the- HEEELLLLL!"I screamed as the ground below me gave out and I was plunged into darkness, dirt walls rising up around me as I toppled head-over-heels down a tunnel. I heard a familiar laugh near me, but wasn't nearly stable enough to shout something back at him. Instead, when I got a full view of him a few minuets later, I sent a streak of sparks right into his 'cottontail'.

"Oi!"He shouted, and for a few moments I felt that he might actually be angry.

Until two strong arms wrapped around me and stopped my dizzying sommersaults, pulling me to a bounding chest as a much more stable ride was provided for me. Soft, warm fur brushed my arms and face as I was pulled to a chest, my entire face lighting up and fighting the urge to beat him into next week.

"There, now stop complainin'."Bunny ordered, and I growled.

"I wasn't even talking!"

"Yeah, ya weren't."He chuckled teasingly, and I looked up, him holding me bridal-style, fighting the sparks on my arm and the conflict of feelings in my chest. I was never one to go out of my zone of safety and comfort. Fighting. Conflict. Suspicion. Solitude. Those I could do.

This? I wasn't so sure. I was doing this to get Pitch out of my life, once and for all. I told myself that, to keep everything in at least some sort of sense. To convince myself this wasn't some big-ass mistake and I wasn't playing right into Manny's hand. And I hadn't given Bunny that answer when he asked me why.

Because, to be honest, that wasn't the main reason. Yes, I wanted Pitch out, and that made up a good portion of why I'd decided to help out these bumbling idiots. But, in all honesty...I didn't know why I agreed.

I only knew that this couldn't end well.


	8. An Explination

_-A Cave- Pitch's p.o.v****_

905 years is quite a long time to go, not just in imprisonment, but in complete solitude. During this time, much can and has occured. Hatred can stew. Fear can grow. Plans can form. Alliances can change. Reactions that once were one thing could quickly change to another. Power can grow. Ropes can wear thin. A heart can become overwhelmed by the shadows surrounding it. Greed can prosper. Feelings can wither.

I never expected her to put up with me for so long. She was smart enough to know my games with her, too weak to pull away. But that seemed to be changing. She seemed to have some sort of power whelling inside her, a new defiance in her eyes, a new brightness... No, it was not new. It had been snubbed out by shadows. My shadows. But now it was coming back, slowly. She was finally getting fed up with my games, with my manipulation. And yes, now, it was manipulation.

At one point I might have had these feelings I pantomimed for her. But that was long ago, and any capability was long gone. At least, that's the mantra I kept in my mind, when I looked at her and for a moment, my words stopped being manipulated lies and turned genuine. But those moments were sparse and fading quickly. The man I once was, the weaker, was now gone. She'd gone with them. But that changed nothing. She is and always has been my greatest obsticle to overcome. Luckily, this obsticle had been easily controlled.

Now, though, it was becoming harder and harder to twist the mind I knew too well. Soon, I knew, I'd have to end our meetings. I'd have to end my opposition, by any and all means necissairy. Over a long period of time, hard decisions can be made.

And 905 years is quite a long time.

_-North Pole- Boston's p.o.v****_

I brushed the dirt from my shoulder, grumbling under my breath as Bunnymund ran into the meeting room where the other Guardians had joined into after Pitch and I had left, explaining to them what had happened, me expressing in threatening detail to not explain _everything, _enjoying my personal issues with Pitch to not be explained by a giant talking jackass.

Waiting impatiently and uncomftorbly, I crossed my arms and stared out at the globe, lights flickering beautifully across it. It was magnificent, all of these lights, only adding to my need to increase the amount of children who believed. They flickered on and off, almost in a wave, as it slowly rotated on an invisible axis, the yetis and elves below it hard at work, with their holiday only 9 months away. I never understood just working one day a year, let alone having a set schedual you had to follow.

The stress and frantic preparing was never very appealing to me, and I couldn't imagine how it was for them. They were very...grown-up, for people who were supposed to look after children. Then again, I couldn't say any different for myself. I wasn't exactly child-like, pure, or innocent, but at the same time I could still relate with them. I could hardly imagine these guys trying to play with a kid without meantioning work or, in Bunny's case, getting aggrivated.

And again, they were Guardians and I wasn't. No use in being bitter now, though. I'd settled that with myself as Bunnymund had carried me through the tunnels, toward a decision I wasn't sure why I'd made it. This was the surest way to ensure the safety of children, surest way to defeat Pitch, and at least I was somewhat believing that they weren't...well... I tried to remove the thought from my mind, hating how childish it sounded, so overly-dramatic and weak..

But to be honest, I was still a bit afraid they were going to hurt me. It was hard to get something like that out of your phsyce-

"BOSTON!"I jumped and spun, immediatly seeing a blur of white before I was tackled to the floor by someone cold and excited.

"Oof! Frostbite!"I shouted, the boy with his arms wrapped around my neck and hugging me, breaking a very solid space-bubble.

"Bunny told us! You're gonna stay! This is gonna be so cool, like a really long sleepover!"He exclaimed, pushing himself into a sitting position on my lap, me sitting up and rubbing the back of my head, musing calmly,

"Hopefully not too long." He ignore it, still almost hopping with excitement, his eyes lighting up and a broad smile on his face.

"We can tell ghost stories, and have snowball fights, and prank Bunny!"He exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow, a smile pulling up the corner of my mouth for just a moment before I felt that melting again, looking at the eternal teenager and ruffling his hair.

"Now you're talking, kiddo."I said with a wink, and he gripped the staff tighter, beaming wide and bright.

"Don' give a' any ideas, Frostbite!"Bunny scolded as he walked to the overlook, accompanied by a smiling, giddy-looking Toothiana, a beaming North, and no Sandy. I realized it was nighttime, and he was probably off doing what I should be doing. Not bitter at all. I smirked at Bunny and said,

"He doesn't need to, mate."I mocked him, and he seethed again, Jack shooting up from my lap and helping me stand, only to immediatly be crushed into a massive chest. Instinctively, my body tensed and I cringed, eyes squeezed shut and waiting for pain that didn't come. Instead, I was moved from side to side as North's voice boomed,

"Ah! I knew it! You are here to help make dark shadows go away, I could not be prouder little one!"

It was only then that I realized he was hugging me, not hurting me(though it was so tight I couldn't breathe), and I mummbled in recovery,

"Not looking for pride." My mouth was covered by his chest, so the words were muffled and distorted, North having an excuse to ignore them.

"Oh, North, stop it! You're going to crush the poor thing!"Tooth scolded lightly, fluttering over and placing a hand on North's shoulder. Finally, I was released, taking in a large breath of air and bracing myself on my knees, leaning over and panting. Off to my side I heard Bunny chuckle, and I sent him a fierce glare.

Tooth fluttered in front of me and tried to surpress how happy she truley was, though why perplexed me. Why did they all seem overjoyed to have me staying with them? Was being mental a requirement for Guardianship?

"Oh, I'm so excited! It'll be nice to have another girl around for once!"Tooth said chipperly, and I gaped, straightening up. The way they were talking...it was almost like...they wanted to be... I shook my head and backed up, looking at all of them and saying in a warning tone,

"Woah, woah, woah. Listen, I'm not here to..to play buddy-buddy with the Guardians, alright?" They all gave me mildly surprised looks, and I fought down the sudden and unexpected guilt, "I'm here to get Pitch down and out for good and to protect the children. That's it." Thousands of years of solitude and their complete ignoring of my existance wasn't about to change in one day. They needed to know that now rather than later.

Tooth looked a bit depressed, and I avoided Jack's look completely, focusing instead on North's constant smile that was seriously starting to grate on my nerves.

"Ah, good!"He exclaimed, "Then we are on same page! Now, ideas on how to keep scary things from minds of itty bitty kiddies?"He asked, turning to all of us, everyone's eyes instantly on me. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Damn, they really would be lost without me.

"I have no idea what Pitch is planning, but we can already assume he's gonna have the entire world crawling with those damn nightmares. Probably now, actually. He wants us-" I stopped myself, stumbling as I realized my folly. I'd said 'us', as if we were one group. Which we weren't. We weren't even 'we'!

I continued before I got a migraine. "He wants...a large group to attack, so he can take down as many as possible. Taking you guys down one by one didn't work last time, so they'll probably be in waves thinking it'll attract more of you guys. So, until we know for sure what his plan is, all we can do is take shifts."I finished, running through the facts in my mind. Pitch would try sneaky attacks before major ones, and this was the most dangerous part.

He wasn't yet frustrated, and had all of his energy stored up for this. He wasn't going to make mistakes this early, so there was no way we could, either.

"One of us makes rounds around the globe, looking for nightmares on every continent, and when they're done move onto whoever's next."I finished, and Bunny seemed to huff. I raised an eyebrow, about to ask him if he had a better idea, when North boomed,

"Wonerful idea! I take first shift, no? And if I run into Sandy I can explain situation for him, I'm sure he'll be excited as well!" I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but it went unnoticed.

"I can take second shift!"Tooth pipped up enthusiastically.

"I'll do third."Bunny mummbled grumpily, pulling out an egg from his sling and turning it, whipping out a paintbrush and beginning to adjust something on the egg.

"Fourth!"Jack called, and I shrugged.

"Fifth."

"And Sandy will be last! Wonderful, now I trust you all behave and play nice...Jack."North warned, looking with suspicious eyes over at the winter spirit, who whistled and looked up at the ceiling. I slung an arm around his neck and smiled, saying calmly,

"We'll be angels."

"I doubt."North deadpanned, then retained his happy demeanor and walked past us, down the stairs as he called, "Do not disturbe yetis and feel free to distract elves! Workshop is free to roam!" Jack immediatly spun to me and took my hand in his, a touch that for some reason didn't feel odd to me just because of the pure innocence behind it.

"I'll show you your room! Then we can have a snowball fight with the elves, they're really good because they sometimes use themselves and just roll in the snow!"He laughed, and I found myself smiling again. Suddenly, things didn't really seem so uncomftorble. At least with Jack I could have fun, Tooth was nice enough, North was..overly friendly, and the only issue I had with Bunny was his attitude and that damn electric reaction I had whenever he got close.

That just left Sandy, and he didn't even talk. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be as bad as I thought...

_-A Few Houres Later- _

I shivered, sitting in front of the fireplace with my back to the flames, Tooth snoozing mid-air with her little fairies bobbing around her sleepily, getting in a nap before her shift around the world. I didn't quite know where Bunny was, but after we droppped quite possibly the largest snowball, probably should have been called a snow boulder, onto his unsuspecting head while he asked a yeti outside if North was back yet, I could guess he was de-thawing far away from us.

I wouldn't outwardly admit it, but some part of me felt like this ridiculous, hectic, insain day had actually ended on a pretty..fun note. I was starting to believe that Jack was the only Guardian worth his title. If he was able to make me have fun surrounded by people I'd so easily hated before, then he was damn good at his job. I hadn't fully accepted them as my friends yet, and probably never would. It was safer that way.

But they were starting to grow on me, if just a bit.

"So, Boston, can I ask you something?"Jack asked, laying length-wise on the couch, one arm handing down and the other lazily over the staff across his chest, legs propped up on the oppisite arm of the couch. I shrugged and mused,

"Shoot, Snowflake."

He rolled over, faceing me on his stomach as if this were an actual girls sleepover.

"What happened, with Manny and you? Why did he...ya know...do what he did?"The white-haired teenager asked, chin on his hands as he looked at me with a look that told me he knew this was a sensitive subject, and he wanted to breach it carefully. I was surprised for a second, not expecting such a serious-toned question after a day of nothing but goofing off, but the look in his eyes was genuine and curious.

And...almost a little concerned. As if he were actually going to hear me out on this one, no bias like the others towards Manny. It was another instance when I realized how special this kid was. He had...different eyes, eyes that could see things differently from adults. And that's what I needed to plead my case, right? A child's neutral eyes. They only wanted to know the story and figure out things for themselves.

Which made it almost easy to talk to the kid, and answer his question eventually.

"One day I was fighting off nightmares around the globe, and the next..."I thought back, biting my lip bitterly at one of my..worse, memories. It brought a string of sadness to me, a sadness and pain that I tended to use as the reason for stifling my memories. But these weren't the worst, just some of the worse. And besides, it was time for someone to know the full story without interrupting me and causing a fight.

"There were all these kids that I used to play games with, like tag and stuff, these kids that I used to give firework shows to when they had long days of chores or when their new world began to scare them. All over the world, where people were back about a thousand years ago. Sometimes, if there weren't any nightmares, I'd just kinda sit with them and...talk, ya know?

"Like a normal kid, just talk about kid stuff. Back then, they weren't called 'believers'. They were called 'friends'. And I had thousands of friends, all over the globe, that I could look forward to seeing every day. It was rich! If you could have seen the look on their faces when I made the sparks turn into dragons, or princesses, or images of anything they wanted, you'd have had a blast too.

"I felt that my life before I became a Guardian didn't matter, because I had all of them to keep my mind off of it. We would get into all of these crazy antics, and not one day went by without laughing at something we had done or seen. Like, the kids would sometimes have to sew all day and night to make clothes. Long story short, I introduced their parents to static cling!" Jack and I both laughed, thinking of all those kids back then, all of our fun and the trouble we go into.

But a melancholy quickly washed over me, and my laugh died down into a frown. Jack stopped, looking at me curiously as I leaned forward, making a spark dance absentmindedly on my fingers, in and out of them like a snake.

"...And then..one day, they just couldn't see me. I tried, I even gave them a firework show, but they couldn't _see_ me. I was invisible to them, and then I saw this new guy, this Guardian who did what I used to do, except different, and when I asked Manny why I'd been replaced, because that's what I assumed had happened, he didn't say a word.

"We used to talk sometimes, but suddenly it was like he was trying to snub me out of his life. He ignored me like the kids, like I didn't exist or he didn't _want _ me to exist. Just like that. All of a sudden he just left me, no explination, wouldn't tell me if I did something wrong. I was just some mistake, I guess."I shrugged it off airily, trying not to sound like an angst-ridden teenager through the bitter memory.

Jack's eyes caught my face and I saw a frown, narrowed eyes and a sad, distant look on his face. And then I remembered everything I'd heard about the kid. He was created, and given no explination or reason for his existance or why kids couldn't see him...and I suddenly felt that much closer to Jack Frost. Our lives, while being on completely different paths from different circumstances, were similar. I sighed, giving the kid a lopsided smirk and saying,

"Guess we both were asking the same question, huh?"

Jack looked up at me, a small smile drifting onto his lips.

"Yeah, I guess we were."He rolled onto his back, fingers laced behind his head as he mused,

"When I realized I was meant to be a Guardian of Fun, it was kind of...odd. And that's how Manny works sometimes. Oddly...but I can't figure out why he'd do something that..."He seemed to feel awkward and uncomftorble saying the word, but finally he did, in a small voice, as if the Man in the Moon were listening now, "Heartless, I guess. I never got to feel a child's eyes on me when I was invisible, but you'd known it, you'd played with these kids before.

"Watching them forget you must have been horrible."Jack sounded too sad on the end for my taste, and I immediatly send a spark towards him, tickling him and making him laugh. I relaxed and exclaimed,

"Ah, there we go! Thought you were gonna cry for a second, Iceblock." He looked over at me with a smile on his face, but at the same time almost confused. I stood quickly, streaching as I explained, "Listen, I'm not looking for pity or puppy-eyes, okay kiddo? To be honest, you're the first person who knows the whole story from my point of view. No one else was willing to listen. Guess you grew on me, you little snowflake."I ruffled his hair, and a wide smile spread across his face.

"I just wanted someone to know the real story. It's all in the past now, so don't linger on it, alright? Now get to bed, I don't want you sleeping in the freaking mountains when your shift comes up. Oh, and knock Tooth awake, will ya? North should be back soon."I threw back, turning and lifting lightly into the air, the sparks dancing around me as I made my way to the overlook.

I wasn't planning on sleeping. Maybe if it were just Jack, I might consider snoozing. But not with the others, who hadn't yet managed to trump my instincts to defend myself as well as possible. Instead, I headed into the kitchen, dead-set on finding a way to drink that hot cocolate without contracting diabetes.

_-Hallway Next to the Fireplace- Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

I didn't want to say it. But I sure as hell did think it. Leaning in the shadows, against a door where I'd made a hole to the Warren just in case, I'd heard it all. Normally, coming from Boston, the spirit everyone and their mother went out of their way to avoid, I would have just dispelled her words to exaggeration, lies, or bitterness. There just had to be a reason for Manny to create her, and to disown her.

She had to have done something...and yet, her words, the emotion trickling into them that I'd never heard before under the layers of rough, sarcastic, snappy, defensive, irresponsible, hostile tones she seemed to be able to hide behind. Though the words weren't meant for me, and only Jack would ever be able to get her to talk like that, I felt like...something disturbing had happened. Something I didn't want.

Something I would have avoided even if it meant tunneling into the center of the Earth. Something that seemed to have happened once or twice, when I dared to look behind her words and try to find the reason for all of those defenses she had up. Something terrible. Something unnerving.

I began to understand Boston. Her side of the story was almost...it almost made me question Manny. But I shook that thought from my head. This was Manny. Yeah, the kid had a tough past, but that couldn't have been all of it. She had to have done something! Manny wouldn't just treat her like that, she was one of his creations. From seeing her, there was no way she could have been fit to be a Guardian. Irresponsible, hostile, rash, violent, rude, defensive, insulting, angry. I knew all of that about her...

...And yet some part of me felt that I hadn't even scratched the surface of who Boston really was. And that was the most troubling out of all of it...

_-Over Corpus Christi- _

"I know is hard, old friend."Nicolas St. North's voice tried to sooth his low-on-spirits ally, who he had just filled in on the plan that Boston had set up, sucessfully impressing North and cementing the fact that the needed her, not just for strength, but for her sheer knowledge of Pitch. Though, the implications of what he had heard were troubling.

The Sandman mearly floated, his dreams streaching over the beautiful city, one Boston would have appreciated. The little man didn't tell his friend what was going on in his mind, he didn't need to. Somehow, the father-like Guardian always knew when something was wrong with his friends, and whatever was bothering them was read like a book in his 'wonder-filled' eyes.

It unnerved the Guardian of Wonder to see his usually-jovial friend so..quite, distant, sad. The problem facing his friend was one he could understand, but one he was afraid he couldn't fix on his own. This, unlike so many other problems, was out of his hands. Only the two of them could work out their differences. Sandy would, if the small Guardian of Dreams didn't feel so...guilty, for something that he couldn't even have controlled.

The Sandman couldn't fight the knowledge of what had really happened to Boston. Others had much worse, abridged tales, but he knew how...almost wrong it was, what happened to her. He loved Manny, and yet this was the one thing he ever questioned him on. No matter what the plan was for, was it really necissairy to have done something this harsh to the child? Then again, Jack Frost had gone through almost the same, and look where he had turned up.

But her venomous looks and blatant anger towards him were enough to weigh down the poor Guardian's heart.

"Sandy...she will come around. Her center, es special, just...hurt. I know she will forget, I feel, in my belly!"The man tried, but Sandy made a series of images in his head, turning away from North as he did so.

The images translated into a simple sentence. 'She will never forget what happened.' And with that, the little man went away to spread more dreams and happiness to the children. A job he loved, he cherished, and yet couldn't completely claim was his own.

The larger Guardian stared up into the moon after watching his friend leave, sighing and scratching his beard.

"Manny, old friend. This better be good plan."He warned playfully, tired as he slapped the reins of the deer attatched to the sleigh, the large vehicle turning and soaring through the air, bits of black sand falling off from North's few run-ins. At the moment, he was eager to get to the Pole and relinquish his duty, get in a nice nap, and go back to playing peace-keeper amoungst what felt like an angsty battlefield.

Unaware that, in the shadows, someone watched. And someone waited.


	9. Thanks

_-Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Got sick, had a Pokemon and One Piece marathon, and time kinda escaped me. I hope this chapter makes up for it with some development in Boston and Bunny's, and Boston and Sandy's relationship! Also, you get to see what happens to Boston if she touches metal!-_

_-North Pole- Boston's p.o.v***_

"I'm telling you, San Antonio and Huston are worth the trip. Look like freaking disco balls at night, it's beautiful."I muttered to Jack, mouth full of cookie that we'd snatched from some yetis, sitting cross- legged with Jack's back against the metal railing and me a safe distance away from it, North below and shouting orders to the yetis about what colors to change and patterns to add. He'd arrived shortly after Jack and I had my vent-fest, Tooth going out and promising to bring back Sandy.

Not that I was looking forward to that at all. I was still struggling with my inner turmoil, caught between hating him and giving him the benifit of the doubt. He was weak, he couldn't protect children from nightmares, and the guy didn't even talk! But that wasn't his choice, aside from the selective mutism, it was just how that jackass in the sky had made him. I hadn't been asked to be made a Guardian, let alone to be stripped of that title, and I assumed none of these individuals had either.

He was a victim of circumstance. Not that this made me any less bitter, but it did put a few points in the little man's court.

"Too hot, and I'm not to excited to see if I can actually melt."Jack retorted, shoving another cookie into his mouth as I shrugged him off.

"I'd pay ta see tha', mate."Bunny's voice trailed up the stairs as he entered, a small egg in his palms as he placed a paintbrush in its holder, eyes looking over the pale pink skin of the egglett as it...kicked...its legs...

"...That thing has legs."I pointed out, glaring at the little thing. Bunny didn't even spare me a glance as he looked at the egg and muttered,

"'Course it does, how else da ya expect it ta get ta the Color Pools?" My face fell and I slumped my shoulders.

"Oh yes, silly me."I deadpanned, Jack surpressing a snort as I rolled my eyes, Bunny just now catching onto the sarcasm and spinning to me, glaring. "Careful, don't wanta' drop tha' egg, mate."I mimicked in a terrible Australian accent, making Bunny bristle visibly. He took a step towards me, my face the image of calm and apathy.

"Oi, who da ya think ya a-"

"INCOMING!"A high voice shouted out, and a blur of green and gold nearly took my head off, Bunny jumping so quickly to the side that the egg fell from his hand, landing on the floor and rolling past me. I looked over, seeing it tumble through the bars of the railing, my heart dropping. I could never tell you why I did what I did, or why it seemed so dire that I save this egg for Bunny's sake, but that's exactlly what happened.

I fell onto my side and shot my arm through the bars, grasping onto the egg as my heart stopped, not because I probably just saved this little thing's life, but because of the situation I found myself in. I didn't notice it at first, only once I retracted my arm through the bars, feeling a sharp and almost blindingly painful heat score my forearm, a sizzling sound lashing out as I gasped and cursed loudly, pulling my arm protectively into my stomach and leaning over.

"Boston!"Jack exclaimed, but I shook my head, taking in a sharp breath through my teeth and tensing my arm, feeling a sting across a small gash in my forearm, the entire appendage shaking up to the shoulder as the immediate pain dulled a bit, eyes that were squeezed shut opening as I continued to grind my teeth together, to the horror of Toothiana.

"Oh my! Are you okay?! What happened?"She asked, and I shook my head, still trying to play it off despite the harsh sting pulsing across my forearm, enough pain ebbing away to allow for me to sit up, forearm still pressed to my abdomen, feeling a bumpy scar where flesh had burned away, wincing as my finger trailed over it, feeling a lingering heat.

"You'd think that after a few centuries I'd think before I acted."I muttered lightly, hearing heavy footsteps running up the stairs, as well as a golden cloud settling a comftorble distance away.

"Vat has happened?!..Boston, es all alright? You are injured?"North's voice was dripping with concern, kneeling between Bunny and Jack. All of this fuss as the group circled around me made me uncomftorble, inching back a bit as I awkwardly muttered,

"I just grazed the bars...can I uh...have some space?" Almost instantly, they took a few scoots back, all except for one. Bunny continued to stare, looking not at the egg in my hand that was jittering nervously, but at my arm that I held securely with the other hand. I gave him a sizable glare, but to my surprise he didn't notice, instead reaching out his palm.

"Lemme see."He ordered, and I shot back,

"It's not a big deal!" He rolled his eyes, almost exahsperated, and took my arm fourcefully. I flinched back in both pain and instinct, expecting a blow or something that usually accompanied fource. Instead, what I got was a few collective gasps and a surprisingly soft hand trailing across the underside of my wrist, just under the wound. I struggled to surpress the sparks that wanted to rise from his shockingly gentle touch, instead leaving a tingling feeling as his grip loosened a bit, and yet I didn't pull away.

On my forearm, an inch or two above my wrist, was a gash about two inches long, black with a few bumps along the skin surrounding it, looking like a black swelter about half an inch thick and standing out against my pale skin.

"It's not that bad. It'll heal in a few days."I reasoned, wanting to pull my arm away from their studying eyes and at the same time unable to move away from the soft, downy hands on my arm. The egg in my hand hopped into Bunny's lap, nuzzling his stomach, but he didn't pay it any attention.

"It's hot."He muttered, and I shrugged.

"It did kind of burn my skin off. But seriously, I've gotten much worse than this before. It wont even scar."I tried, but Bunny looked over to Jack.

"Think ya could use that staff a' yers to good use?"He asked, and I swung my head from Bunny to Jack in utter protest.

"Hey! This is my arm we're talking about here! If I say it'll be fine then we-"

"Oh shove it!"Bunny snapped, "We need ya at a hundred percent, so the faster we help this thing heal the betta. Now sit still or ya don't get a pretty band-aid." I scoffed at his jab and rolled my eyes, but all the same remained, body tensing as Jack picked up his staff and brought it closer. I immediatly stiffened, every instinct I had telling me to run, run, and not let myself become vunerable in a situation like this.

I felt sparks ignite from my neck, shooting back with loud sizzles as I bit my lip, glaring at where Jack had the end of the staff just inches from the small, by my standards, wound.

Then more softness. It was just one, minute, gentle stroke across the small of my wrist, a thumb brushing for less than a second. It seemed like an absentminded gesture, but...something distinct happened. I relaxed. I relaxed where normally I'd be either fighting or somewhere over India by now, allowing a group of people I should hate take care of a wound I got while saving an egg.

If Pitch could see me right now, he'd be laughing.

But I wasn't thinking about him, actually. Instead, I was thinking about why this oversized rodent could put me at ease, and why his hands were so damn soft, right up until Jack finally, in a pinprick-quick motion, tapped the wound with the end of his staff.

It felt like the equivalent of dipping a massive papercut into a gallon of lemon juice, my arm stiffening as I clenched my teeth, muttering out,

"Mph! Fuck!"

"There, done, ya big cry baby."Bunny said, though he seemed almost embarrased, letting go of my hand as I struggled to surpress the dissapointment at the loss, looking down at my wound. Normally, it would be black for a day or two, then fade to pink, and eventually dissapear without so much as a scar. Now, though, my eyes widened as the frost that had spiderwebbed across the cut melted, dripping down my arm and leaving the wound already a light pink color.

"Hm. Look at that."I said simply.

"That's it? I just bloody-"

"Well well!"Toothiana interrupted, breaking the tension, "Bunny, it's your shift! Boston, I have something for you that might help, too!" I raised a skeptical eyebrow as Bunny hmfed, stading and cradling the little egg in his paw as Jack took off into the air, shooting down into the workshop, North calling after him.

I stood up, making sure not to brush my arm against myself as Bunny turned from me, placing the egg back.

"Oi, Boston."He said, and I raised an eyebrow, Tooth already fluttering ahead of me. He avoided eyecontact as he turned his head, me taking notice as his ears slowly fell backwards. Hm, did that mean he was self-concious? Damn, I could hold that over his head for years-

"Thanks. Fer the egg."His mutter broke me of thoughts of blackmail, my eyes going a bit wide and voice mute. Did he...? That was a thanks. A legitimate thanks. Towards me?...In all of my centuries, aside from children when they could actually see me, I'd never been...thanked...for anything. In all honesty, I'd never done something to earn one. But..I just did, didn't I?

Being thrown into yet another social situation that I'd been neglected of, I managed to stutter out a rather flustered,

"U-um...yeah, don't mention it. Seriously." He let out a breath and rolled his eyes, tapping the floor twice and falling into a hole, appearing out of nowhere, only to close up when he was gone.

"Boston! C'mon, I can't wait for you to see this!"Tooth exclaimed from the hall, and I shook myself of my stupor, turning to where she was in the hallway, Sandy momentarily in my line of sight...

I noticed him brushing black bits of sand from his arms as I passed, eyes lingering on it as I got up to Tooth.

"Nightmares?"I asked, and she followed my eyes, frowning and nodding.

"Yeah, Sandy got hurt a bit, but there weren't that many."She sighed, and an idea popped into my head. Then I surpressed it. And, like the Rolling Stones, it kept coming back, planting itself in my mind. I glowered, eyes narrowing as I thought it over. With most ideas, you try to find all possible reasons for why it would work.

This time, not so much. I tried to think of any list of reasons for why I shouldn't go through with this idea as Tooth let me down the hall, chittering my ear off, but the only one I could come up with was that I just didn't like the Guardian. And, taking a note from multiple preschool teachers, I realized that I hadn't actually...talked to the man. Granted he didn't talk, but my few run-ins with him were silent and full of glares and lightning storms.

"Okay!"Tooth interrupted my thoughts, pulling me into her room as I immediatly tried to find an exit, only to be stopped by her shooting into a closet and zipping right up to me, wings blurring in the green, purple, and golden room, something behind her back. I took a trepid step back, raising an eyebrow as her beaming face chuckled.

"Well, I hope you like it."She said, shrugging a bit shyly, "I just thought that there's so much metal all around us, and looking at that nasty wound you just got...well, I started making it a few days ago, right after you joined us."

"Um, Toothiana...what is it?"I asked, and she touched the ground with her feet for the first time in I think ever, and said,

"Close your eyes!"

"Uh, yeah, see I'm not so good at that-"

"C'mon! It makes it fun!"

"Fun for some people..."

"Please?"

"...Fine." I closed my eyes begrudgingly, body stiff as something was thrown across my shoulders. Tooth's small hands took my arms with surprising fource and shoved them through what felt like sleeves, wincing as one brushed the fresh wound, and a warmth enveloped me.

"There! Look!"Tooth exclaimed, and I opened my eyes to see her fluttering there, holding up a large mirror, as I looked at what was around me. To be honest...it was actually pretty cool. I found myself staring at the black jacket, the sleeves going just beyond my wrists, with two pockets at the breasts and extra, leather padding at the elbows.

"The zipper?"I asked, starring at it and wondering why I didn't feel and intense heat from the bright silver zipper.

"Not metal! It's a new type of plastic North created to make toys safer while still looking like the real thing! You like it?"She asked, and then it dawned on me. My eyes widened in the mirror, looking at...no way...they weren't really...she wasn't...

"Y-you're giving this to me?"I asked, almost too quiet. She rolled her eyes, smiling as she giggled out,

"Of course I am, sweet tooth! You like it?"She repeated, and I opened my mouth a bit, but not reply came. She seemed to notice my state of shock, and frowned a bit. "Something wrong?"She asked in a kind voice. I reached back and scratched the back of my head, trying to keep my composure but at the same time overwhelmed by what just happened.

"No, it's just...no one's ever given me anything other than a black eye before, I guess."I muttered, actually liking how the jacket looked and wondering why I'd never thought of it before. It might actually prevent some of the more major metal burns, if I got any, providing protection like my boots. I'd still feel the heat, but no real wounds would appear unless I was being fourcefully pressed against something.

And she was giving this to me? Never, not on Christmas or any other holiday, not on my birthday, not in thousands and thousands of years had anyone actually _given _ me anything.

"No one?"Tooth asked, setting the mirror on the wall near the closet, and I shrugged.

"Never gave anyone a reason to."I tried to brush it off, not too keen on having an emotional moment with a hummingbird. She fluttered up to me and, without my permission, pulled me into a rib-cracking embrace.

"Well you've certainly given me a reason to! Helping us fight Pitch deserved a gift, and I'm tickled pink that I'm the first one to give you one!"She exclaimed, setting me down as I tried to figure out if she acutally said 'tickled pink', legitimatly. I cleared my throat awkwardly, and then nodded, not sure how to proceed.

"Well..thanks. It's going to be useful."I muttered, and then looked behind me, at the door.

"Hey, when's Sandy's shift?"I asked suddenly, and Tooth's confused voice answered,

"He has the last shift, probably not for a day or so...why?"

I sighed, shaking my head. I could not believe I was doing this, but I reasoned it out with that I would give us a better chance of getting rid of Pitch, for good.

"I need to borrow him for a few hours. Make sure Jack doesn't freeze the yetis again."I threw back, opening the door before taking a small pause, looking forward at the snowfall outside from a window across the hall. "And...thanks."I said quickly, before leaving and walking back to the overlook where Sandy was removing the last of the black grains of sand.

I stood there and said,

"You know how you can get those off you faster?" He looked up at me and jumped a bit, an exclimation point above his head, but I ignored it, crossing my arms. "If you could fight against them in the first place."My voice sounded more insulting than I had planned, but it seemed to bother Sandy more than me, the man shrinking back a bit. Still, I stalked forward, him backing up slowly, but I was too quick. I shot out a rope of sparks, creating a wall behind him and preventing him from moving backwards at all, his eyes darking from the wall to me with utter fear.

Agreeably, I felt a bit bad for the little man, and decided to end this quick. I walked right up to him, his cloud making him eye-level with me, and glared into his eyes. They were a gold like my own, but without the black around the rim, or the vibrance mine held. Mine were yellow like electricity. His were like sand.

"You were chosen to be a Guardian instead of me. Do you know why that leaves a sour taste in my mouth, Sandy?"I asked, and he slowly shook his head, hands drawn up in a defensive, scared pose. I leaned in a bit closer, eyes narrow as I continued, "Because you can give them dreams, but I can fight. I can protect them from the nightmares, while your sand get so much as touched by them and they turn your dreams into nightmares. That's my issue...

"So if you want to make me think that you're worthy to be a Guardian, we need to teach you how to fight."I said, straightening up a bit and flicking my wrist, the sparks dancing back into me with light nuzzles, like pets. Sandy's eyes showed an art gallery of emotions, from fear, to surprise, to confusion. I didn't let him have a word...or image...in, before I turned and started walking down the stairs.

"Well, c'mon! I'm the only one here who can train you to fight so you do more than just glitter during a fight!"I shouted back, not looking back but feeling him behind me, following slowly, as I made my way around the workshop, heading towards a room I'd found on my first day of wandering. It was a large, empty room with nothing around it, nothing to be destroyed.

I entered into the room and, once Sandy entered, sent sparks to slam shut the door. I walked to the center and, suddenly, spun around and threw sparks as Sandy, in a wave quicker than you could blink, Sandy having barely enough time to duck down before they hit the wall, leaving a scorching indent with smoke rising off of it. Sandy looked back at it, and then to me, in utter shock.

I rolled my eyes and snapped,

"Listen, this training isn't going to be lightweight. That's not how I learned, and it's not how I'm going to teach, either. So tell me now: Do you want to be able to protect children, or just give them dreams until a threat comes along?" I watched, testing him, wanting to see if he was really up to the challenge. What I was doing was something I'd promised to never do, something I venemously refused.

I was swallowing my pride and making Sandy a better Guardian than I had been. He could give and protect. Something I could only dream of doing, ironically enough. And I was going to teach him how to do it, only solidifying the fact that Manny should have chosen him as a Guardian. Don't get me wrong, I hated Manny's guts, and if given the chance I'd knock him clear out of the sky...

But after this was done, I really would be...almost a mistake. Something that was a failed test subject. And Sandy would be the best of the two. So why was I doing this? I had no clue. I didn't know why I did a lot of things lately. Maybe, just maybe, against my better judgement, I was getting...fond of these idiots. I didn't trust them. I didn't want to be here. But maybe, just maybe, I was starting to like a few of them.

And maybe I was getting serious about destroying Pitch.

Sandy gave me a solid look, almost as if he knew what I was doing for him. A sad little look. And then he puffed out his chest, raising his chin and giving a firm nod, sand fluttering down. I took a breath, swallowed, and began.

"They touch you and your sand turns into nightmares. So, touch them first."

_-Overlook- Jack's p.o.v****_

I smiled, on my belly on the steps across from the ones Boston and Sandy had gone down. To be honest, I thought she was going to rip the poor guy a new one. She sure could look scary sometimes, what with that electric feeling about her, but this...she was going to help Sandy, the guy she probably had the biggest problem with.

Slowly, very slowly, I was starting to see that hard-as-nails shell she had around her begin to fall, to slip just a bit with every passing day. She seemed to smile more, to talk more. Though there was still this feeling that I got, that...she didn't trust us. A feeling I was afraid I could relate to.

I felt that she had been hurt by other spirits in the past, just like I had. She flinched when Bunny grabbed her hand, and looked like she was going to have a heart attack when I brought the staff near her, as if we were really going to hurt her. That, above all else, made me sad. She'd been so hurt that her defenses seemed impossible to break, but I'd made it my mission to do so.

I would get her comftorble here like the others had done for me and, maybe, just maybe, give her a family here. It seemed impossible, but she had just offered to train a man she should hate. Anything was possible. Even, maybe, getting a look into what she'd gone through, maybe even before she became a Guardian...

...Starting with the most interesting little tid-bit.

Pitch.


	10. Brief Love Story

_-Must give credit for the opening scene to 'hermonine' for her comment 3-_

_-North Pole- Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

"...How exactly did this happen again, mate?"I asked, staring into the training room with the others grouped around me, looking at Jack's 'guys-you-gotta-see-this'. Jack had explained, once we opened the door and saw the scene in front of us, that for the past day Boston had been training Sandy on how to fight nightmares.

But to me, it looked more like she was trying to kill the poor bloody thing. A massive shot of sparks flew from her hand as she pointed it straight to the small man, giving him less than a second to hurridly dodge out of the way before another wave of bright electricity struck just in front of him, Sandy panting and looking a bit worse for wear. And yet he had a determined look in his eyes, one I hadn't seen since Pitch shot him with that arrow.

"C'mon, you're gonna have to hit me sometime!"Boston called, out, but I didn't blame Sandy for not being able to. I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer...beauty of it. I'd never admit it outloud, but when Boston fought there was a certain...energy about it. Like you were witnessing something special, something spectacular. When she'd pulled back those giant sheets of pure light, slamming them down on the nightmares, I got goosebumps under my fur.

Much like the ones I got now, just standing here and watching her. She was a small girl, compact, with just a slight muscle definition but nothing impressive, looking like a normal, small teenager. But her when she fought, all of that tight-knit energy inside of her was released, but in the most graceful way possible. She moved fluidly, jumping and spinning and throwing her arms out, eyes staying trained on Sandy the whole time as the small lights danced across her skin, a massive fource destroying the layers of plaster she was sending her attack into.

Such power from a girl who was so small, the only indication being her attitude and that indimidating brightness in her eyes. She didn't even notice us, so focused on fighting in a way that seemed practiced over centuries, and all at once I understood how, 905 years ago, she was able to destroy Pitch when we struggled, all on her own.

"Woah!"Jack whispered, snapping me from my haze and shaking my head as Sandy finally got the upper hand. Boston pulled her arm back to send another attack the little man's way, when he jumped back and snaked his sand along the walls, Boston too focused on him to notice the two whips quickly lash towards her until it was too late.

Her eyes widened and she jumped back, only to have the ropes shoot forward to follow her. They wrapped lightning fast around her legs and Sandy moved his arms, Boston getting thrown backwards and slamming against the back wall with a loud smack, the sand exploding around her and falling back to Sandy. I watched, breathless, wondering what she would do...

Boston jumped to the floor, one hand on her knee and the other on her back, hunched over and wincing slightly, everybody tense. Sandy seemed nervous, more so than anyone, as we waited for her to straighten up and unleash some kind of revenge, some kind of hatred, of defense that she seemed to put up whenever anyone tried to breach pretty much any subject with her...

"...Damnit. Ok, that hurt."She said, but to all of our astonishment, she said it...smiling. She straightened up a bit, hand still on her back, and actually smiling. I didn't know my eyes had widened, or that my ears had folded back against my head, or that I was staring so blatantly, but I didn't really notice anything at the moment except her.

Here was a girl who did nothing but get on my nerves and put up layers of defenses around herself from us, one of the most hard-as-nails people I'd ever met, with some sort of connection to Pitch that still eluded me, an enormous amount of power that she abused, and openly cursed Manny. And yet when she smiled, she looked...normal. Her eyes crinkled, her teeth showed a bit, and her face literally lit up. Literally, the sparks(that I'd noticed sometimes reacted to her mood) danced up from her hair and the corner of her eye, and her skin almost glowed.

She wasn't scowling, or looking evil, or scary, or mocking, or piss-your-pants angry. She looked happy. And that was something that I'd never seen before.

"Bunny, you're drooling."Jack's voice snapped me back again, whispering next to me so that the others, completely enraptured in the fight, did hear. I snapped my ears up and stuttered, looking from Boston to Jack, eyes still wide as I tried to think up an excuse for why I was just oggling the girl I was supposed to hate, Jack's eyes twinkling with mischeif that I wanted so bad to just smack right off his face.

"I-uh-no I was'n! I was uh...she...fights well!"I defended, Jack raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"Oh, do I now?"I jumped, flustered as my fur bristled, looking over to see Boston floating on her stomach, chin on her hands, smiling sneakily at me with an eyebrow raised. The others around her were snickering, small sparks bobbing around her. If I could blush, I would have, seeing all eyes on me as I froze up, trying to recover by shouting,

"No!"

"But you just said I did."She prodded, floating closer. I was acutely aware of her face centimeters from mine, her finger tapping my nose quickly as I clenched my jaw, something odd and tight rising in my chest, something I didn't like and made me uncomfortable to the point where I resorted to glaring, a default motive I seemed to adopt with this girl. Her eyes so close to mine, I could see the colors within them almost dance like an electric-fire, squinting a bit before chuckling, rolling onto her back and floating past me, leaving me flustered.

"C'mon, I'm tired and that little jackass hurt my back."She mused, Jack too eager to follow her as he exclaimed,

"Hot chocolate! C'mon guys! I'll make it!"

"I'd like not to die of sugar shock, thank you very much!"

"You're immortal!"

"Not for long, if I keep drinking that shit!"

I shook my head, sighing as the others walked ahead of me. Sandy floated down to my side, a small little smile on his face. I looked over at him, musing,

"Happy? She doesn' seem ta be holdin' a grudge against ya anymore." Instead of nodding, he looked at me, and then flashed a series of images over his head too fast for me to read. I raised an eyebrow and gave him a confused face, Sandy merely chuckling silently and waving me off, floating up ahead.

"...What?!"I demanded, arms splayed out as he continued to chuckled silently up the stairs.

_Boston's p.o.v****_

I gagged, coughing yet again at the sugar-induced coma I was almost sent into, making Jack chuckle.

"I'm gonna -cough- freaking -cough- kill you -cough cough cough- Frostbite."I managed out, turning to the sink to water down the sugar with a bit of hot coco mixture, the mug large enough to fill with more water than necessary.

"Impossible."He said smoothly back, and I rolled my eyes, facing away from all of them.

"Oh, Jack, you know it's not good for your teeth!"I mimmicked Tooth's voice, as I stirred up the mixture.

"Yes! You want nice, sparkle sparkle teeth for the ladies, no?"North teased, and I heard Bunny let out a laugh, remembering just a few minuets ago, when Jack seemed to say something that made him flustered, me capitalizing on it. 'She...fight's well!'. That's what he said, and some part of me brushed it off, but the other part, the part I found it hard to ignore, was almost...flattered. And I did not get flattered. Ever.

"Like Frosty here could be in a serious relationship!"Bunny mocked, and I saw Jack flick a spontaneously-appearing snowball at him, Bunny jumping back as it landed in his hot chocolate, seething.

"Speaking of relationships!"Jack segued, ignoring Bunny's look of hate as I tried to find more chocolate to douse the now-interesting tasting drink. "Boston, what was up with you and Pitch? You guys seemed kinda...familiar?"Jack prodded, and I laughed, surprised that his breaching of this subject, especially around the others, didn't bother me in the least.

In fact, I felt pretty..open about it. Not like it would do anything other than probably piss Manny off, if he were watching.

"Oh, you wanna know about that, huh?"I asked, smirking as I reached up into a cabinet.

"Yeah, what was the big deal?"Bunny inquired, and I noticed that something was underlying his tone, but couldn't quite place it. Ignoring it, I went on.

"We used to be together."I said simply, and heard four simultaneous chokes on too-sweet drinks, almost making me snort in laughter that I kept down.

"B-but...with Pitch?!"Jack exclaimed as I took a candy cane to stir the drink with, turning to them and avoiding their incredulous faces and keeping a nonchalant smirk on my face.

"Yep, it that surprising?"I asked, pulling out the semi-melted candy and sucking on it a bit before dunking it back in to wait for the liquid to cool down.

"Well, yeah! It's Pitch Black, the Boogeyman?"Bunny said as if I didn't know, and I rolled my eyes, leaning on an elbow and pointing upwards with the candycane's sharp end.

"He wasn't always like this, ya know."I mused as if _they _didn't know, and by the surprised look on Jack's face, I could see that he really didn't. I smirked at him and sighed, explaining, "Pitch used to be a Guardian, too. Nothing like this 'shadows and fear muahaha' crap he's got goin' on now. Believe it or not, he was actually a pretty decent guy. At least, before he went all 'Voldemort' on me."I shrugged, finally sipping the drink.

Hm. Tasts like foot. I turned and poured out the drink as Jack continued to press, his childish curiosity almost amusing me.

"So how did you guys meet? And why are you fighting now?"He pipped up, as I turned and rested my back against the sink.

"Hm,"I thought, though I knew the answer immediatly to how we'd met. It was a memory I'd never forgotten, nor tried to. Why forget the one time when things started to turn around for me? "It was about a month after that jackass in the sky dejected me from Guardianship. I was bumming, walking through some forest and using a spark to light my way, when all of a sudden this massive shadow of a man pops out in front of me.

"I almost pissed myself and did the first thing that came to mind."I explained, running a hand lightly through the short-cropped hair.

"What was that?"North asked, and I gave a lopsided smile at the memory, surpressing laughter as I said simply,

"I lit him up."

"No way!"Jack exclaimed, beaming like it was the funniest thing he'd heard.

"Yep. He was pretty pissed. I think that was the first time we actually fought, but once he saw who I was it ended pretty quick. Turns out words spread fast of my 'fall from Manny', and unlike the other spirits, he was actually pretty sympathetic. What can I say, he was a nice guy. This turned into that, and we ended together."

"But what about when he became...you know...Pitch?" I sighed, crossing my arms and my eyes straying above them in thought, oblivious to how much I was sharing with them.

"Well, it was alright at first. I mean, I pretty much hated Manny and the other spirits anyway, and we were both rejected from him, both cast out because of things we couldn't help. It actually gave us more in common."

"So, now why are you fighting?"

"...When he started giving kids nightmares, that's when I stepped in. I might not seem like a saint like you guys or Mans, but I've got a heart for kids. Even though they couldn't see me anymore, I didn't want anyone hurting them. I sent him away for 900 years, and 905 years later he's still the same ass he was when he turned."I shrugged again, trying to dispell any pity they might have had for me.

I avoided their eyes, hoping that they wouldn't take this as a sign of weakness, because the last thing I needed was-

"Boston and Pitch! Sittin' in a tree!"Jack began to sing, and my jaw dropped, looking as the carefree spirit began to sing tauntingly... I pointed to him and asked,

"Have you guys gotten his head checked?"

"I've hockey checked it, if that's what ya mean."Bunny grumbled, looking rather uncomftorble for some reason. Jack continued though, singing loudly,

"K-I-S-S-I-N-"

I shot a trail of harmless sparks his way, quickly dunking into the drink and spilling it all over his face with backsplash. He sputtered and pushed away, shouting,

"Hey!"

"You deserved it!"I snapped back, but realized with a start that I was smiling, and surpressing a chuckle. He got a look in his eye and, before I could protest, threw a snowball, materializing out of thin air, right into my face. I gasped, trying to dodge but too late, feeling it begin to melt on my face.

"Mphf!"I exclaimed, as an electric bolt went through me, sparks quickly shooting from me as the water dried instantly on my skin, one eye twitching as my body tensed and my hair shot up momentarily. After it passed, I shook myself, glaring forward at Jack, who's hand was slapped over his mouth, face red.

But he wasn't the one who laughed first.

"..BAHAHAHA!"I spun, seeing Bunny, slamming the counter with his fist as he gasped for air between laughing fits. I found my face heating up over the bridge of my nose, trying to diminish it by blaming the short-circut I just went through. Bunny's laugh filled up the room and I ignored that feeling he caused again, this time not even touching me to cause it, and making me all the more angry with him.

"Wh-what wa' tha'!"He exclaimed, accent thickening as he tried to calm down, "A bloody fuse blown?!"He cracked up again, and I growled darkly, pointing a finger at him. Without a word, I shot a trail of sparks at him, watching as the buried in his fur and caused him to sit bolt upright, eyes wide as his fur immediatly puffed out, standing completely on end and resembling a hedge-hog all over.

And, in my defense, it was the funniest fucking thing I'd ever seen. I immediatly grabbed onto the island in front of me, laughing hard until I could feel tears in my eyes, hearing a booming laughter and a younger laugh accompanying mine, along with a trail of Australian curses that I couldn't distinguish over my own hysterics.

"Y-you-hahahaha-look great! F-f-furball!"I shouted, abs killing me as Bunny franticly began to smooth down his fur, glaring from what I could see as I whiped away a tear of laughter.

"N-no! K-k-keep it that way!"Jack exclaimed, as the Guardian of Hope managed to de-chia-pet himself. I managed to get my breath back, wondering if I'd ever laughed that hard in my life. Probably not. Suddenly, North slammed a fist into an open palm and his eyes widened in realization, looking towards Bunny and exclaiming,

"Oh! Reminds me! I got messege from Manny just awhile ago!" I rolled my eyes, North sucessfully killing my mood as I turned to take care of my cup. "He does not want trouble with Pitch to disturbe Easter, and wants you to continue making eggs. But, when you are gone, he wants helper to make little eggies pretty!" Bunny groaned, musing,

"Please tell me it ain't the bloody groundhog, and I'll be fine wit' tha'."

"Es Boston."

Bunny and I simultaniously spun to North and shouted,

"NO!"

"Neva'mind! I'll take the bloody groundhog!"Bunny exclaimed, and I followed with,

"I don't take orders from that cheese-wheel, alright?!"

North held up his hands and said calmly,

"Es only way Easter will be safe, and will keep Pitch outnumbered until we get real plan down."

"But...but..."I stuttered, hating that, in all honesty, it made sense. But I was not an honest person. "I don't like him!"I shouted childishly, pointing to Bunny, who glowered at me.

"I ain't fond a' ya either!"He retorted, and I turned, leaning over the island and getting close to his face, glaring...

And then it happened again. A trail of sparks, running from the nape of my neck to my spine, sending chills through me as I became aware of every little detail on Aster's face, from his wet-looking nose, to the silk-like look of his fur, to the flecks of brilliant green in his eyes that, I had to admit, pretty much lit up like Tokyo. And then something else flicked through my mind.

It was quick, like blowing out a candle. It was a thought. An urge. One that was familiar, because I'd had the same one before, with someone vastly different than Bunny...and yet completely different, because something else underlaced it, something backed it up, something I couldn't quite place, something that made it different from when I had this urge with the other person.

And it was gone, in the blink of an eye. In fact, I almost missed it. But almost isn't missing it. A fear tightened around me and I tried my best to keep my face conformed, not showing the utter...shock of what I'd just thought of doing, with his face this damn close, with freaking Bunnymund. This jackass who couldn't take a joke if his chocolate was spike with it.

And I would have gone on for decades more about how that fleeting little moment shook me to my core, something that no one and nothing had been able to do spare one other person, except for the fact that Bunny sighed angrily and stood, walking around me to put his cup in the sink. I immediatly turned, raising and eyebrow and saying,

"Hey, just what do you-"

He spun and wrapped an arm around my waist, saying as if he were so damn smooth,

"Hold on tight, sheila." There were two quick thumps, as I tried to ignore how I felt the warmth of his fur through my jacket, thanking Tooth that it hid the eruption of sparks that shot up my spine from where his hand was, shouting,

"Hey! I said-SHIT!"The ground, again, dropped from under me, familiar dirt walls ascending around me as I cursed Bunny the entire trip, taking about two minuets.

"Oi! Shut yer trap already! We're here, so ya might as well learn a thing or two so it all doesn' go ta hell while I'm gone!"Bunny snapped, and I felt sunlight suddenly hit my face, the tunnel falling away as I was set on my feet, turning to look at what I'd heard was called the Warren.


	11. A Game

_-Idea prompts for fluff? Send 'em my way! Through reviews, my inbox is kinda crazy right now XD-_

_-The Warren- Boston's p.o.v****_

It was...just...well...how can I put this poetically? If Aphrodite was beautiful...

Then this place was her hotter twin sister.

And I couldn't believe I was actually breathless at this place, but that's exactly what happened. I just stood there for a second, Bunny saying something behind me that I wasn't paying any attention to, too enraptured by just how...glowing the whole place was. Like the whole place was multi-colored mirrors that the sun was reflecting off of, with shiny green grass that moved in waves over small hills, a purple pond somewhere off in the distance, these giant rainbow-flowers that would do this hiccup thing, and then eggs would pop out and waddle away on _feet._

The trees glinted with what was probably dew, but looked more like little stars. And I just had to stand there for a second in the cool air, for once in my life completely without anything to say. And, evidently, Bunny picked up on this, because his voice came from next to me, sounding teasing but at the same time surprised.

"Wow. Warren actually shut ya up, didn' it?"He asked, and I blinked a few times, shoving my hands into the warm jacket pockets.

"It's...actually, pretty beautiful."I said, raising my eyebrows, something about this place just...captivating, and maybe it was my heliophyllic, light-obessed tendencies, but I had to take another look to admire the place. "I mean, it's not New York City or Boston City, but there's so much light for a place with no electricity!"I mused, and then remembered who I was talking to. I was actually having a decent conversation with a rabbit that I had quite a large issue with.

"Not everythin' has ta be a spark ta be bright, sheila."He mused, but I caught something like...satisfaction in his tone. I shook it off and sent a spark at his cottontail, just to prove a point. He jumped and yelped, but I was already ahead of him by the time he recovered, looking up and around at everything, finally getting my edge back.

"Wow, for an anthrapamorphic jackrabbit with a stick up his 'cottontail', you live in a pretty chill place."I mused, hearing his growl behind me.

"Yer lucky I'm in a good mood t'day."

"This is your good mood? Damn, I'd hate to see you on a bad day."I retorted, walking under a bridge and out into an area with a few shaded trees and a pond of bright yellow paint. My eyes lit up and I exclaimed, "Now that's an attractive color!"

"Psh, 'course you'd think so."Bunny grumbled, and I smirked, deciding to play a little game.

Looking back on it now, I might have just been trying to sort a few of my own questions out.

I turned around and gave him a sly smile, raising an eyebrow and getting close to him, his eyes a bit wide in confusion.

"What, you don't think yellow's...attractive?"I asked suggestively, tilting my head to the side and surpressing laughter as his eyes widened and jaw dropped just a bit, but I completely lost it when his ears began to flatten against his head. I burst out laughing, taking a step back and exclaiming, "Aww! Bunny's shy! Didn't take you for that kinda guy."

He straightened up, eyes still wide but now with surprise and anger, ears pointing up again as he puffed out his chest, pulling out a boomerang and pointing it at me,

"H-hey there sheila! I'm not shy!" I placed a hand over my mouth to silence the rest of my laughter, looking up at him and saying teasingly,

"Don't worry,"I mused, "It's kinda cute." And there go the ears. I spun around, chuckling more. And the chuckling definitly sounded directed at Bunny. Which was good, because that's what I was going for, trying to hide the fact that it was really just trying to hide how...actually nervous that made me. Not doing that, that was fucking hilarious and I'd take the soonest opportunity to do it again.

But what I said. 'It's kinda cute'...I wasn't expecting to say that. It sounded teasing, yeah, but too much of it was true. It _was _ kinda cute...not that Bunny himself was cute! Nah, he just happened to do a cute thing! Hell, anyone could do that and it'd be cute! Like Jack, or a baby deer, or Pitch...okay no, that image was just scary. But anything else could have been cute, it wasn't just Bunny!

And now I'm yelling at myself in my own mind. If I ever see Manny, I'm kicking him in his craters.

"A'right, enough messin' aroun'!"Bunny exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes, turning to him, standing at the edge of the yellow pond as he turned, ushering little eggs out of the shade of a tree and shooing them towards the pond with his hands. "This is what ya do: Watch 'em, make sure they can get outta the pond on their own, then let 'em dry off and you decorate them."Bunny instructed, as the line of eggs began to dive into the pond.

I raised an eyebrow and asked, head following him as he ventured into the trees and began to search for something,

"Decorate?...Like, paint?"

"Oi, what else da ya think goes on Easta' eggs?"Bunny asked back, and I huffed.

"Yeah, like I've ever celebrated Easter!"

At this he straightened up, turning to me and holding three paint buckets in one hand and an assortment of paint brushes in the other, his face in utter shock with his jaw completely dropped and eyes narrowed. Once again, he gave me feelings I hadn't experienced in hundreds of years, and I pulled my elbows in in self-conciousness, as if not celebrating Easter was a crime.

"What!"I defended, "Just because I'm not tearing you guys a new one doesn't mean I didn't used to hate your guts!"

"What about before you died? Don' tell me ya didn't celebrate then! What kinda childhood is tha'!"Bunny asked, walking towards me. Completely oblivious about what he'd just done to me. I froze, mind flashing a series of blacked-out images, just bare outlines of things I tensed at, pushing down and refusing to acknowledge any of them. Back when I was a different person, when different things happened, and back at a time that I wished didn't exist. Back at a time that, as far as I was concerned, didn't exist.

"..Sheila? Ya a'right?"Bunny asked, slowly setting the stained paint cans down, the paintbrushes on top of them and walking towards me. I realized I'd just completely tensed, and fourced myself to block the rest of the memories of things that never, ever happened. I shook my head and looked away from him, plopping down in the shade near a paint can where two little eggletts were drying off, saying quietly,

"Don't mention...just, don't talk about..."I shook my head, "Never mind. What do I do now that they're dry?"

Bunny just stood there, and for a second I was afraid he was going to bring it up again. But, making me relax visibly, he sat across from me and picked up one of the eggs. I did the same, yelping as it started to hop in my hand, scrambling to stop it from falling.

"Hey! Pipe down!"I scolded it, and the little thing actually turned around and wiggled what I assumed was it's butt at me. I glowered, leaning closer and saying through gritted teeth, "I know how to make a kick-ass omlett, you little-"

"Ay! Don't threaten 'em, kid's have to eat chocolate from these things."Bunny scolded me, but I didn't miss the stifled smirk on his face. Damnit, he played that card. And this is why I don't tell people things. I sat back and huffed, seeing Bunny pick up a brush and nudge one over to me, me leaning over to pick up the thin, smooth, wooden handle.

"Ya just paint designs on 'em that ya think kids would like. Butterflies, flowers, hearts, that kinda stuff. Now get ta work, ya gumby."Bunny dismissed me as I mocked him, mimicking his words silently. I huffed at him and a spark shot from the back of my neck, now sure that this one was from anger. I was the most powerful spirit in the world. And I was painting eggs.

I reached over and was about to pry the top of the can off, when suddenly a large, warm hand was holding firmly onto mine, a tickling spark trail shooting lightning-fast up my arm as I looked up, surprised. Bunny's eyes were dark, almost concerned, the egg sitting curiously in his other hand with the paint brush dropped onto his lap. His hand was so warm and firm on my hand that I forgot what he'd just done for a second.

"What's the big deal, Cottontail?"I asked, though not nearly as angry as I wanted to sound.

"That's a metal lid, sheila."He said simply, and I gaped a bit, looking down at the reflective metal lid that would have almost surley have kept my hand in bandages for weeks, with or without Jack's frost. 'Damn' I thought, 'This guy's kept me so distracted that I almost...but he stopped me.' Something warm and tight wrapped around my heart at this moment, the same one that happened the last time when Bunny tried to help me with my wound, when he brushed a thumb over my wrist to calm me down.

It was tight, warm, comforting, and wonderful.

And I did not like it one bit.

"Oh..."I said, and he slowly released my hand, shoving away the dissapointment of loss of contact for the second time, resting my hand on my knee as he quickly flicked off all three lids, making sure to put them far behind him, as if I'd make the same mistake twice...which, now that I thought about it, I might.

"A'right, get started."He said, dipping the brush in a can of blue paint and beginning. I started off, too, with a light green, biting my tongue and painting onto the now-patient little egg. It took about ten minuets, finally looking down at it as Bunny peered over to observe my...work? There was a silence, and then...

"...I'm not gonna lie to ya. That's...terrifying."

"It's not that bad!"I defended, looking down at the lopsided smiley face that looked like the work of a deranged serial killer who drew it in his victims blood..."...Okay, yeah it is."I agreed, and Bunny grunted as he stood up, his perfectly-decorated little egg waddling off as he brushed the grass from his legs.

"Well, you'll have pleanty a time ta practice! Have fun!"He called, walking away as I gaped.

"Hey! Hold it you Australian Jackass! You can't just leave!" And then the damn Pooka turned my own game against me. He turned around and leaned down, close. Like, reeeealy close, his nose almost touching mine, my eyes wide and body completely still.

His smile widened a bit as he asked in a slightly husky voice,

"Why, sheila? Don' want me ta go?" I was completely still, jaw tight and eyes wide. Then, in a moment I would deny for all of eternity, sparks danced across my cheeks and the bridge of my nose, Bunny's eyes catching them. He immediatly fell backwards, holding his stomach and shaking as he laughed loudly at my little...nervous tick.

I'd never felt more humiliated in my life, shouting with a heat rising on my neck and face,

"Shove it, Pooka!"

"S-sure, sheila! J-just don't e-electrocute yerself!"He exclaimed, and I seethed, watching him stand and give me a wink, making me want to tear his face off. "Now who's shy?"He asked, and turned.

"Rabbit!"

"Don' worry."He mused, walking away like he was so cool, saying calmly, "It's kinda cute." And with that, he dissapeared over a hill. Leaving me to sit there and boil and plan horrible, torturous deaths for him. I looked down at the little egg and asked,

"Is he always this much of an ass?" As if in response, it hopped twice. I took that as a yes, and let it hobble into the grass, off my hand. Once the next one jumped to my knee, me scooping it up, I stared at it for a second.

I was painting eggs in a beautiful place, a place where a Guardian lived. That Guardian got on my nerves and made me want to break the parol Manny should have put me on a long, long time ago...that Guardian gave me so many feelings that I tried to stifle, feeling that made me hate him more than anything and yet at the same time those feelings were familliar. I felt them a long, long, long time ago. But I wouldn't let myself acknowledge that, would let myself allow that overstuffed housepet to occupy my thoughts that should be focused on defeating Pitch...

I sighed in defeat, thinking back on these past few days. I hated being wrong. Hated it. More than I hated metal. And the only thing I hated more than being wrong was admitting I was wrong. I hated the Guardians because I thought they were pompus asses who couldn't hold a candle to me. And then they had to go and act all kind and sweet and trusting and forgiving and entertaining and have Jack who I adored and and and...

I sighed, slumping my shoulders.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

_Pitch's p.o.v****_

There were pleanty of shadows to lurk in, no matter where you were. You just had to look, they're always there. Under a tree in the Warren, for example, where neither of them could see me but I could see them, see _her..._ see him. See how he touched her. How she reacted. That litte game she played that I remembered distinctly from a time long, long ago. That game that he played back. Her nervous tick that I noticed she had yet to get over, that I'd noticed happened, without fail, every time he touched her.

That look in their eyes. In her eyes. How her beauty never ceased to amaze me. Her sharp wit that never dulled. Her power. An astonishing power, that they weren't using properly. She was guarding a filthy habitat, painting little eggs, their little shifts leaving her indisposed when such a power, such a fource of nature, should be utilized.

Should be with me. Not with them. Not with..._Bunnymund._ It was infuriating, watching her power being thrown aside. A power I craved. And, though I'd discarded such emotions long ago, part of me admitted to not liking how she was acting around that Pooka. I'd held such a possesive hold over my little spark that, and I wasn't angsty enough to deny it, I did not appreciate someone else moving in on my territory.

Because that's what she was, my territory. Nothing more. Maybe once she had been more, and maybe that had been a mistake. But that would be all she ever would be to me. Territory. And if it wasn't going to be returned to me or come back willingly...then it was going to be forclosed. Very, very soon...

_-Burgess- Boston's p.o.v***_

"I swear, I'm gonna strangle that Pooka."I muttered as I flew over a quiet, snow-blanketed town, massaging my hand from the endless hours of painting, relieved when my shift had come up.

"Get in line!"I looked down, surprised to see Jack in a small clearing near the houses, waving up to me with the staff and two small-looking children near him. Curious, I swooped down, touching the snow and sending some of it away from me from the sparks dispersing. Jack beamed at me, me trying to avoid the look of the children, not wanting to go through not being seen today.

"Why are you here, Frostbite? Thought North wanted us all at the pole."I mused, and he chuckled.

"I promised my friends I'd play with them today! Ain't that right?"He asked, looking down at the kids. There was one boy, looking no older than maybe ten or twelve, with a mop of brown hair and freckles, a missing tooth, and buldgy jacket. I didn't have time to look at the other kid, only because...

"Wow! You're Boston?" I froze, body tight as I gave the kid a wide-eyed look, his own eyes wide and glittering in pure wonder, smiling like I was freakin' North come early to deliver presents. He...he...

"Y-you can...you can see me?"I stuttered, something welling up inside me that I really, really hoped wasn't tears because I couldn't hold back whatever this was. He nodded quickly, and I looked from him to Jack, who was beaming proudly. Slowly, I connected the dots, and I swear I almost kissed that winter spirit. He...made them believe in me? I had kids who could see me again, after thousands of years?

My chest tightened and I was able to fight down tears, something new blossoming inside me. A familiar feeling, like sliding into your bed after a long trip, comforting and wonderful.

"Yeah,"I said, smile cracking onto my face, "My name's Boston. What's yours?"

"Jamie! And this is my little sister, Sophie!"He exclaimed, and I had to kneel down as something small and pink ran into me, hugging me and jumping up and down,

"Spark! Spark!"A little voice chanted, no older than five, as I slowly pulled her back and got a look at her face. And I paused, eyes widening as a memory held firm in my mind. For once, a good memory of that time that never existed. The only good memory of that time that never existed. Sparkling brown eyes. Hair, messy and blonde, with terribly cut bangs and a few missing teeth, a smile so wide it almost looked disproportionate, like everything in the world was a wonder.

A good memory that I stopped before the bad memories came, but all the same, with this little girl, something akin to what I felt with Jack, times ten, took over.

"Boston? You okay?"Jack asked, and I smiled, nodding and ruffling the girl's hair, making her giggle. Damn, how I'd missed that giggle, how wonderful I felt, how, for the first time in a long, long time, I felt like I had...almost...a second chance. A second chance to play with a little girl lost in the past.

"Yeah, she just..reminds me of someone I knew. A really long time ago."I said, smiling.

"Tag!"I heard Jamie exclaime, and looked up to see him running from Jack, laughing loudly. I looked down at Sophie, a glint in my eye and finally, finally, feeling like I did when I was a Guardian.

"Hey, wanna show those icky boys how to play tag girl-style?"I asked, and her face lit up like DC, nodding so fast she probably made herself dizzy. I picked her up and said,

"Hold on tight, okay?" She nodded and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, just as Jack ran over and tried to tag me. I gave him a smirk and quickly kicked off, shooting into the air and zooming out of his reach.

"Hey! No fair!"He shouted, but stopped himself as Jamie ran up and whispered something in his ear. Jack's grin would have put Skellington to shame, grabbing his staff and hooking Jamie onto his back piggie-back style, then shooting up to me. I laughed, turning and darting away, my sparks shooting out as I flew above the clearing, dipping and dodging Jack before finally landing on the ground, Sophie screaming in delight as I spun around and proceeded to continue the game on foot, setting the girl down so she could chase me, as well.

Because she could see me. They both could. And that wasn't a start...that was a second chance.

_-Bunnymund's p.o.v****_

"I can't bloody believe it."I muttered, eyes wide.

"Wow, look at that! Es like little kid!"North exclaimed quietly from our position through the trees, Tooth fluttering happily above us and Sandy already on his rounds. North rounded us up because the kid was taking too long and should have been back awhile ago, but we had no idea we'd see..this.

She was smiling. And I mean really smiling, like that one other time, lighting up her face and making her seem almost normal, her skin quite literally glowing and her hair shimmering as sparks danced across it. This wasn't the dark girl with the dangerous gleam. This was a happy, sweet, kind girl who positively _glowed_ and laughed a laugh that sounded like electricity mixed with a legitimate laugh, bright and free.

Free, with nothing weighting her down. She tripped, and let Sophie jump onto her, wrapping her arms around the little anklebiter and rolling over, both of them breaking into childish hysterics, Sophie grabbing snow and messing it in Boston's hair, making her have one of those short-circuts again, making Sophie only laugh harder, making Boston only smile brighter.

And then it hit me.

Was this what she was like, before Manny stripped her of Guardianship? Before the kids stopped seeing her. Before Pitch turned. Before she was turned into the girl she was today. I remembered how she got this look in her face, back when she was telling Jack what happened to her, that completely euphoric look on her face, like she was remembering the happiest times of her life...and they might have been.

She completely froze up when I mentioned her life before she was a Guardian. I'd never seen her like that, like she was fighting something inside her, the secret that she kept that I knew was monumental. Her life before she died must have been horrible. And her life after Guardianship was more terrible than she was letting us know, I could feel it. So those moments with children, her happiest moments. And they were taken from her.

If she looked like this. If she laughed like this, and played like this, and made kids emit absolute joy like this, then why would Manny ever take it away from her? And in a moment, I not only understood her grudge against him. I felt it, too. The unfairness. The confusion. The best moments, taken away without explination.

And I suddenly realized there was a lot more to Boston than we realized. There were massive chunks of her life that we didn't know. Defining chunks, like what she did when the kids couldn't see her. I remembered five years ago, when kids stopped seeing me. Felt like my bloody heart got ripped out. Or what happened when the other spirits found out? Why did she horribly assault that Fall spirit?

And then I stopped and realized something else. I wasn't just asking these questions. I wanted to know them. I wanted to know Boston...I wanted to understand her, to see what she'd gone through and for the first time since I'd heard about her, since I'd met her, I wanted to...I wanted to help her.

I wanted to be her friend.

Oh, dear Manny. What had I gotten myself into?


	12. Something Worse Than Candy

_-I apologize for how long this took, it's been a crazy week with midterms and the flu. I will try to update quicker from now on, but the next two days will once again be busy so I will try to upload a lot tonight to hold you over! Also, it has recently come to my attention that I described Bunny's fur as blue when people have told me it's really grey. I'm Color Blind, so when I saw the movie all of the colors were different to me, sorry! Please tell me if I get any other colors wrong, thank you!-_

_-Warren- Boston's p.o.v****_

"Oi, sheila!"

"Shit!"I exclaimed, jumping up into the air as sparks ignited from my shoulders, landing clumsily on my feet while trying awkwardly to keep the egg in my hand still from the sudden jolt. I turned and shot daggers at the owner of the shout that had disrupted me from painting the egg in my hand, slowly getting better at it as the days went by.

Bunny smirked at me, arms crossed and some annoyingly knowing look in his emerald eyes.

"Havin' fun, mate?"He asked, and I quickly surpressed the blush that threatened to erupt on my face, knowing that I didn't actually _need _ to be here, the shifts having started over again and Bunny completely capable of maintaining the eggs he needed for Easter, which was a mere 24 hours away. My real reason for being here...well...I looked away from him and fourced myself to not toe the ground nervously, mummbling,

"Shove it up your cottontail."

He gave another laugh, as if I were joking, and began to walk towards me, plucking the egg from my hand and turning it over, looking at the still-sloppy but improving pink flowers on a bright yellow base coat. I looked up, trying to tell myself that I was _not _ worried about how he would think it looked, instead kneeling down and dropping the paintbrush in the cup of water placed in the fresh grass of the Warren.

"Hm, didn't take ya fer a 'pink' gal."Bunny teased lightly, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not. It's for Sophie."I said, the last part a bit muffled as I stood up, reaching over and taking the egg from a mildly-surprised looking Bunny, wishing I hadn't come here, but more so that he hadn't come looking.

"She's a real special one, ain't she?"I looked up, surprised myself, as Bunny brushed off the fact that I, the big bad Boston, was making an egg for a little girl. And, for some reason, I felt the need to explain myself, just because he wasn't pushing or prodding like he normally was. Like...like I wanted to...No. No I did not want to tell him, I just didn't want people thinking I'd gone soft was all...

Then again, the explination wouldn't exactly help that statement. And yet I pulled the little thing a bit closer and looked over it myself, saying absentmindedly,

"Just with this whole Pitch buisiness, he's not gonna let Easter go by without one hell of a fight. I just wanted to make sure she got an egg...I guess..." A silence followed, and I tried to not look him in the eye, instead busying myself with delicately placing the egg in the pocket of the jacket, zipping it shut and using my boot to kick up the lid of the paint can, the well-aimed kick sending it flipping into the air and right on to the top of the bucket.

"Saw ya two the otha' day."He said suddenly, and this time I had to look completely away to hide the sparks on my face, only looking back when he added in a nonchalant voice, "Neva thought Boston could look so...childish." I snapped my face towards him and opened my mouth to say something, but Bunny didn't seem like he wanted the subject to continue, instead interrupting me and adding,

"North wants us ta go ta the Pole, wants ta see what we're gonna do about Easta' if Pitch attacks." I rolled my eyes and started walking, saying,

"_When _ he attacks, you mean."

"Ye so sure?"Bunny asked, hopping next to me and making me want to crack a joke, but none came to mind, so I let him do his little bunny trot as we headed towards the tunnels.

"I know Pitch better than any of you. Easter isn't a time he's just gonna let slide without some massivly over-thought plan to de-rail all of it."I mused, eyes darting instinctively around for any whisp of an odd shadow, finding nothing but the begrudginly admitted beauty of the Warren as we neared the tunnels. At we got up to them, Bunny held out an arm, intending to carry me like he did the other times.

This time, though, was going to be different. An idea formed in my mind and I quickly acted on it, smirking at him and stepping forward. He was momentarily stunned by the very, very close proximity I'd put us in, my chest almost touching his, as I once againt observed the steady droop of his ears and the stiffening of his shoulders. I winked and said, very quietly,

"Wonder if you're as fast as you like to brag you are."

I wished I could have seen the look on his face, but I was off before he could even blink, leaving behind a trail of sparks as I rocketed through the dirt-walled tunnels. Not even three seconds later, I heard the distinctive sound of loud, thundering footfalls right behind me, making me shoot forward and purposely sending a larger wave of sparks behind me.

"Yowch!"I heard, and managed to stifle a laugh, calling back,

"What was that, Fluff-" I was cut off, feeling a massive weight from behind me tackle me and send us toppling forward, me trying to throw him off and him trying to gain the upper hand so he could get ahead of me.

What ended up happening was one of the most awkward encounters of my entire existance.

We stopped, and it took me a second to recognize that my back was flat against a dirt floor, my arms against my sides with two knees on either side of mine and two furry arms on either side of my face. Hovering above me was Bunny, looking down with a surprised and stunned face, as if his plan hadn't exactly turned out how he wanted it to and felt the situation just as awkward as I did...

And there it was again. The urge. The familiar feeling coupled with something new. The fear of it. My chest tightened, remembering this feeling. Most people called it something beautiful. Others fought their entire lives searching for it. That one moment when it all clicks together.

But I'd had this moment before, if not slightly different. And I remembered where it had led me, remembered the pain it caused me. And I would not be put through that again, not by him.

"Y-you cheated."I stuttered out, and before he could respond I kicked a foot out, shooting myself out from under him and heading towards the end of the tunnel, managing to keep well ahead of him. Trying to sort all of it out.

I was supposed to hate him. I did hate him. I hated him so much. And I barely knew him, and he knew even less about me. And this couldn't happen. And I wouldn't let it. And and and...

I took in a deep, deep breath, then let it out slowly. This was ridiculous. Maybe I was just so stressed from what was going on that I mistook the emotions. Yes, that had to be it. There was no possible way that I'd feel...feel..._that. _ Towards a complete stranger, that I hated, that hated me, that made me feel odd and react odd. It was impossible.

If only it hadn't happened exactly like that once before.

_Pitch's p.o.v****_

"How cute."I mused spitefully to myself, watching her play her little games with him. They had run off into those filthy little tunnels of his, after she continued to toy with the Pooka in a way that I distinctively remembered her doing with me, years and centuries and decades before. Was this really who she thought she could replace me with? That thing, not even of the same species?

Oh, how her own standards had fallen. To a Guardian, no less. Or perhaps she was truly just toying with him, acting this way just to spite me? That might have been better than what I knew was the truth. I was watching as she looked at him, and vise versa. The sparks igniting on her body, in all the ways I'd memorized over the hundreds of years when she was mine. Nervous. Shy. Surprised. Her little expressive sparks, giving away her emotions.

She was trying to hide them. Trying to stifle them. She must have found them just as ridiculous and spontanious as I did, to feel such a way towards someone she just met a few days ago...Yet I'd watched them, here and the Pole, where her presence could never escape me. And something changed. Who she used to be would have never been in this situation. Who she used to be would have taken the opportunities she was being given to strike down every Guardian and not caring for the consequences.

But she was not who she used to be. She had let them into her, regardless of if she meant to or not. Her defenses had dropped, one by one, until she treated all of those Guardians like...friends. She told them about us, _us, _ a subject they had no right to know, a subject she opened so easily to them. She told that infuriating Jack Frost of the true story, something she'd never told anyone before. She wore that gift the Tooth Fairy had given her. She lived in the home of North. She was actually training the one who had taken her spot, the one she swore she would incinerate the moment she saw him again!

As if her training could defeat me! But that wasn't the worst. Oh no, the worst was that Pooka, that overstuffed toy rabbit who seemed to have invaded upon my territory and led her to painting eggs for that damned holiday, that bunny that affected her, that animal that I would target first.

I reached down and, very gently, tapped the top of the first egg that waddled dumbly past my feet. The small, delicate oval paused, veins of blackness running down its small body before dissapearing, as if nothing had happened. But oh, it had. This little thing that was once supposed to bring joy to a child was now a pathogen, filled with a very special, adaptable brand of nightmare, realsed upon a child the moment the opened the little capsul.

Like a good little soldier, it trodded off, to bump into other eggs and spread the desease to the others. Invisible, deadly. Within 24 hours, that damned Pooka would no longer be able to take my property from me.

And to think, I was supposed to have gotten past these emotions.

_-North Pole- Black's p.o.v***_

I flicked a trail of sparks towards Sandy, just to keep him on his toes as we waited for North to show up in his own workshop. I had to hand it to the little man, he was becoming a hell of a lot better than I expected him to in such a short amount of time, managing to avoid it and toss a ball of sleep-sand my way.

"Boston, watch out!"Jack called, seeing it as I turned, only to get a face-full of the golden sand that lightly tickled my skin. There was a silence, in which I opened my eyes and nonchlantly brushed the grains off my shoulders and face, giving Sandy a small nod, which he returned with an overzeleous beaming grin.

"Wait, how are you still awake?"Jack asked, floating up to me on his stomach with a surprised and confused look on his face. I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he could really be this dull, only to see Bunny giving me the same look, Tooth having gone out on her shift awhile ago. I crossed my arms and mused,

"Seriously? You're forgetting that I was the original Guardian of Dreams. As if his sand could knock me out!"I shook my head, seeing Bunny open his mouth to say something, only to think better and shrug it off with a small scowl, Jack's eyes lighting up.

"That's so cool! You're like immune!"He exclaimed, and I couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"Easily amused much?"I asked, just as two massive hands slammed down on my shoulders and made me cringe from the massive weight, gritting my teeth as a voice boomed above me,

"Es not bad thing! Amusement leads to wonderment!"

"And Rosetta Stone leads to me being able to understand you."I mummbled quietly, North missing it and walking confidently into the center of the overlook where we were situated, Bunny walking forward and pointing to him with an angry look on his face.

"Oi, whats the big idea callin' us in here the day before Easta?"He accused, even though we had twice the amount of eggs prepared than needed, everything lined up, routes planned, and new tunnels built. To be honest, he just wanted a reason to yell at North. Said Guardian held up his hands, still beaming, and said,

"I have idea for Easter! To prevent Pitch from pulling a 'sneaky sneaky'!"

"Did...did he really just say that?"I asked, looking for confirmation and getting none as everyone tuned in on North's plan.

"Bunny will go about hiding eggs as always does, except this time we will all be out at different points on globe to be prepared for attack, all of us at different tunnels and observing different continents to keep Easter safe and sound for little kiddies!"North explained, and Jack beamed,

"Sounds like a plan!"

All at once, they looked to me, as if needing confirmation from the most pessimistic individual in the group. And, as much as I truly wanted to and tried my hardest to, I couldn't find anything wrong with the plan. No matter where Pitch struck, we would stop it before it damaged too many of the kids belief in Bunnymund. Even if he tried to attack the eggs through tunnels, we would be there.

"..Sounds good to me. I call America."I mused calmly, and they all beamed like kids being rewarded by a parent. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop the surprising chuckle. "Who's gonna tell Tooth?"

"She knows, and es already in her position! In few hours, when Bunny goes out, we will all be in places to make sure holiday es safe sound!"North threw out his arms as he said this, almost decking Bunny in the face and making me bite my lip to surpress yet another giggle as he barely dodge the massive arm. I cracked my neck a few times and looked over to Sandy, who gave me a curious and slightly aprehensive look.

"Think you can handle an attack?"I asked him, knowing that now was not the time for him to screw up. If Easter was hurt, so would be Bunnymund, and that was one Guardian down and a dangerous amount of fear spread around the globe. He stood straight and gave me a nod, to which I raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?"I coaxed, but he didn't back down, instead giving me a thumbs-up. I shrugged, though not able to deny the small, minscule amount of respect that had earned him in my eyes. He was prepared to go against things that he was useless against just a few short days ago.

"Alright, let's get going. You guys are boring me already."I mused, turning and picking up one of those snowglobe portal-things that North used to fourcefully kidnap me when I first came here.

"Bet I can defeat more nightmares than you!"Jack exclaimed, and I scoffed, throwing the globe that opened up to a swirrling, colorful portal. I looked over at the Winter spirit and winked, saying,

"I'd love to see you try."Before jumping into the portal, feeling Sophie's egg in my pocket, against my thigh.

_-Hours Later-_

"I've seen funerals more fun than this."I muttered, hanging upside down from a tree branch by my legs, arms swinging lazily above my head. I'd run into maybe two random nightmares, but nothing worth my strength. It was already 6 in the morning, the sounds of children running about to get their eggs starting up normally. I was beginning to think that maybe Pitch just skipped this holiday. Maybe sociopathic creeps needed breaks, too.

"Might as well get Sophie her egg and get back to the pole before my ass freezes off."I muttered, sighing and sitting up, already in Burgess, where the only two kids who believed in me lived, knowing it was Bunny's last stop. I'd gone here after making sure that the rest of America was nightmare-free. I streached, hearing hurried footsteps below me from some overzeleous Easter egg hunter.

Until I heard the sobs.

My eyes flew wide open and I immediatly dropped down, spinning around just in time to have a familiar-looking, brown mop of hair tackle me.

"Oof! Jamie!"I exclaimed, falling on my back into the snow and thanking Tooth for the jacket to keep me warm, looking down at the clearly frantic child in my lap. I sat up, a sense of urgency and worry tightening in me as my instincts took over, grabbing him and pulling him to me, giving him a tight hug as he wrapped two short arms around me, trying to soothe him as he cried, breath hitched and voice shaking.

"Jamie,"I said, shocked that the most carefree kid I knew would be crying on a day like Easter, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"I asked, trying to keep my voice calm for him. The boy sat back a bit, whiping his reddened face with his glove, eyes red and watery and lips curled back as he let out another weak sob, my arms still partially around him.

"J-James a-and C-Cupcake were l-looking for e-e-eggs n-near my h-house before I g-got outside...and wh-when they f-found some, I was looking out my window, and they decided t-t-t-o open them e-early, but there wa-wasn't candy inside."The way he said it made it sound like something much, much worse than an empty egg was found, and I stiffened.

We hadn't even considered that Pitch would use the eggs to attack, what with them being in the Warren the whole time. But there was a chance and a way for everything to happen, especially with someone as twisted and hell-bent as Pitch. I leaned in closer to Jamie and asked,

"What was in the egg, Jamie?" He sniffled and stuttered out,

"N-n-ightmares! Th-they ran home crying, after b-b-lack s-stuff came out of the egg, it l-looked l-like Pitch B-Black's s-sand..."He cut off, and I felt my blood run cold. The eggs. He used the eggs, that bastard! There was no way we could fight that now!...And part of the world must already be affected...which meant...

"Bunny!"I gasped, and Jamie nodded, rapidly pulling my arms as he exclaimed,

"He's at my house! I-I found him wh-when I went l-looking f-f-for Jack!...He's...he's..." Jamie didn't seem to be able to tell me the state Bunny was in, and part of me didn't want to hear it right now. I had to get to him, to protect him before Pitch made a move, and get back to the Pole as soon as possible. I had to tell the others, even though they all probably were aware. Right now, it was the only plan I had.

My heart was sunk, something twisting inside of me, like I was about to be sick at just the thought that something had happened to Bunny, not giving the time to care about how 'I shouldn't feel this way' or how 'I was supposed to hate him'. All of that seemed to wash away right now. All that took over was my need to get to him, to protect him.

"Take me to him."I said to Jamie, and he sniffled and nodded, taking my hand as we stood and running as fast as his little legs could take him, the forest falling away from us as we entered a neighborhood full of snow, but the sound of children long faded. It was silent, hollow, like a bad horror movie. Jamie continued on until we reached a small house, rushing up the steps and throwing open the door. He led me quickly up the stairs, and I managed to get ahead of him as I flung open a door with the name 'Jamie' written in crayon on a sheet of paper.

Once inside, my eyes immediatly fell on something in the bed. The thing in my chest twisted tighter, breath stopping as Sophie sat on the bed, gently petting whatever was under the covers with her hand above the covers, a confused face on. Thank goodness she hadn't gone searching for eggs herself. I numbly moved forward, wanting and not wanting to see what was under those covers.

Sophie saw me and beamed, but I couldn't give her anything other than a gentle hand on her cheek, absentmindedly, as I got to where the small lump was under the covers, visibly shaking. It was slightly bigger than a softball, but not by much. I didn't want to believe that this..small little thing, this..this... I clenched my teeth together, a worry filling me that hadn't existed in thousands of years. A fear. Yes, that's what it was.

A fear of what happened to Bunny, and what was going to happen. Slowly, very slowly, I reached forward and peeled back the covers of the bed...

"Oi, that's bloody cold!"

"...Bunny?"I asked, a bit...stunned? No, no that definitly wasn't it. In fact, I had to get a closer look at...this, before I could acuratly say what I felt. Slowly, I reached in to the little tent of covers, pulling out Bunny and setting him on my lap as I sat on the side of the bed, looking down at him.

He was small. Like, really really small. For the first time, he actually looked like a pet bunny, barely bigger than a soft ball, standing less than a foot high with a small, fluffy, chubby little body. He still had tiny tattoos on his fur, but his arms were now little stubby things, as well has his tiny little bunny feet, and two large, wide, watery, baby-bunny eyes.

And I just looked at him for a second.

And another second.

...

...

..

"You're so cute I think I'm about to die."I deadpanned, looking at the ridiculously-adorable form Bunny had taken on due to lack of 'believers'. He glared at me, the effect being greatly lessened by how absolutely adorable it came out, and jumped up, kicking me quickly with his little-bitty legs and shouting,

"Oi, who asked ya?! I'm not cute! I'm still the bloody Easta Bunny- Hey! Stop laughing!" But I couldn't. It was too much, watching his little feet try to kick me. I fell backwards onto the bed, laughing so hard I felt tears in my eyes and my stomach hurt, covering my face with an arm. I felt short of breath, but couldn't control my hysterics as Bunny continued to yell at me, managing out,

"T-too cute...can't t-take you s-seriously!"

"Oi, ya betta start!"He shouted, me hearing Sophie's little giggles next to me, and Jamie's recovering chuckles to my other side. I knew it was bad, that Bunny was severely weakened and who knows what would happen as more and more people stopped believing...but he was so damn cute! Finally, though, after a few minets, I managed to sit up and scoop Bunny up into my arms.

"Alright, now that that's out of my system,"I recovered, "I'm gonna get us to the Pole. North and the others have to have some idea of what to do about this..situation."

"Is Bunny gonna be okay?"Jamie asked, concern on his face as he crawled onto the bed. I smiled at him and nodded.

"Hey, he's with me isn't he?"

"Save me. Someone."Bunny deadpanned, and I gave him a quick smack on the head, still smiling convincingly at Jamie. I winked at him and said,

"Hey, you keep yourself and Sophie safe, okay? Don't open any eggs no matter what, and stay here. This will all be solved soon, I promise." Jamie gave me a firm nod, still sniffling but putting on a brave face. I gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, doing the same to Sophie, who giggled and kissed my cheek back.

I stood up, walking over to the open window when Bunny's voice stopped me.

"Ay, how a' ya plannin' ta get ta tha' Pole?"He demanded, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Flying." He looked at me incredously and exclaimed,

"It's bloody freezing! Use the snowglobe!"

"I dropped it somewhere over Michigan!"

"But I'll freeze my tail off!"

"Oh, I'd love to see that!"

"Wouldn't ya!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Bunny might seem like the same jackass now, but eventually, if I didn't get him to the Pole, something much worse might happen. With this in mind, I unzipped the jacket and placed Bunny inside, holding him there as I zipped it up and left his face at the top. He immediatly looked flustered, eyes darting around and exclaiming,

"Oi, wh-why am I..."

"You wanna be warm, right?"I mummbled, trying to sound calm when I was well-aware of where he was pressed against. I had to tell myself that A) this was small Bunny, B) He had to be warm and the chest was the warmest place and C) This was just Bunnymund, still surpressing sparks on my face as I got onto the windowsill.

"Just burrow into the jacket if you get cold, I'll get us to the Pole as soon as possible..."I paused, jumping into the cold air and soaring up through the sky, then said, "And try not to make this awkward!"

"You did that when ya put me near yer...yer...ya know!"

"I'm afraid I don't, please elaborate!"I shouted, knowing this was going to be one hell of a long flight...


	13. Keep You Safe

_-Somewhere In Canada- Boston's p.o.v***_

"Shit!"I shouted, being thrown like a ragdoll, barely able to keep a legitimate course in the air as the harsh, needle-like winds whipped against me, biting through the jacket and into my skin. Snow pelleted me like hail, the massive blizzard making it near impossible to see, even with the sparks that tried and failed to keep heat in. I had my arms wrapped around Bunny, feeling him shiver lightly as I tried my hardest to keep him warm.

But there was no way I was getting through this hellish storm. I was being thrown around in the air so harshly that I didn't even know if I was heading towards the Pole anymore, just trying to stay airborn as my skin was attacked and frozen, feeling gone in my nose and on my cheeks, short hair rustling wildly. No, it would be safer to just stay the night somewhere, even if Bunny would weaken every passing hour. It was better than having him freeze to death.

It was ten greuling minets before I finally found a desolate cabin, the light on but it didn't matter. Whoever was in there couldn't see me anyway, and if there was a kid I'd keep Bunny well-hidded. The wind cried out angrily as I dropped harshly down, the snow going to my knees as I trooped through it, shaking even more violently than Bunny as I reached the door, slamming my shoulder against it and throwing it open, the wind making it slam loudly against the wall.

I didn't know what time it was here, but whoever owned this cabin was making loud, obnoxious snores from their room. Good, one less thing to worry about. It took an astonishing amount of strength to slam shut the door with my back, the wood creaking in the violent winds. I would have Jack's head on a stick the next time I saw him.

But the thought quickly vanished as a roaring fire sounded in the small entrance room, a hallway in the center of the right wall, the fireplace on the left. That was all I cared to see, quickly walking over to it and unzipping the jacket. I pulled Bunny out, laying him in front of the fire and watching as his shivering little form slowly opened its eyes. I breathed out a sigh of relief, unzipping my jacket and peeling it off, not caring that my skin was painfully cold and red, laying it over Bunny to conserve whatever heat he was taking from the quiet fire.

"There...you'll be okay now."I whispered, the twisting in my chest having returned the second he stopped talking, halfway through the storm. I gently ghosted a hand over his back, panting and muscles aching as he blinked a few times, a drop of melted snow falling off my bangs. It touched his nose and he wrinkled it, shaking his head and looking up a bit.

"..Sh-sheila?"He asked, teeth chattering a bit. I nodded, not able to do anything but that at the moment. "You look...terrible."He managed out, and part of me was relieved that he was still a sarcastic jackass, because that meant he was still okay and right now that's all I cared about. I was bracing myself with my arms, sitting on my feet and closing my eyes, feeling absolutely exauhsted.

Suddenly I was wishing I'd slept in the past three days, being too..what? Cautious? Yeah, great heap of trouble that got me in.

"Sleep. Ya look exauhsted."Bunny said below me, and I looked down at him curiously. "I know ya haven't slept since ya got ta tha Pole, sheila. But I don't give a rat's ass if ya don' trust me. Sleep." I moved, sitting cross-legged beside him as my strength slowly came back to me, soaking in the warmth of the fire quickly.

"I'll be fine."I lied, and he knew it.

"...Why don' ya sleep if ya don' trust the people aroun' ya?"He asked, and I shrugged. Maybe it was from the utter exauhstion I'd just gone through, or maybe this had actually bonded us, or for some strange reason I really wanted to tell him. But I said it.

"In the earlier years, after Manny exiled me, Fall spirits would attack me while I was sleeping."I said it so bluntly, so calmly, that it even sounded harsh to my own ears. I felt Bunny tense next to me, and I kept my eyes on the bright flames licking up the fireplace.

"Bloody hell,"Bunny said, "Why'd they do that?" I shrugged, honestly not knowing the answer. I'd tried to find it, tried to figure out why I became a target after something that I couldn't explain happening, but ended up empty handed. I frowned and looked into my lap, trying to not look like a troubled, abused teenager and failing miserably.

"Don't know. They're assholes?"

"...Is tha'...is tha' why ya don' trust us?"He asked, and I looked away uncomftorbly. I wasn't used to sharing this much with someone, even though I'd shared much more than this with Jack and the Guardians that I'd ever thought I would.

"I just...don't trust people. They haven't given me a reason to. The only spirits I've ever met were either attacking me or...well..."

"Or?"

"...Or you guys, I guess."I mummbled, thinking back on all of the hostility I'd recieved from spirits who didn't even know me, who didn't care that I'd defeated Pitch. There was a silence that followed, and I thought Bunny had fallen asleep.

I looked down, seeing him looking up at me with something that was a mix of understanding and anger, taken slightly aback, until,

"You don't deserve ta have ta live like tha'. Tha's why...why ya don' let people touch ya, why ya seem so hostile. If ya just let them know tha real story, the one ya told Jack-"

"It doesn't work."I cut him off, not asking how he knew that I'd told Jack the true story, "I've tried."I mummbled. Bunny opened his mouth to say more, when something broke what he was going to say.

We both froze, hearing a low, warning growl behind us. Slowly, I turned, seeing a lean, pissed-off looking greyhound snarling at us, drool falling to the floor as it bared its sharp teeth and tensed its muscles, eyes wide and angry and ears back as it growled again. It was only then that I saw the open dog cage behind it, and only then did I remember what greyhounds did to bunnies.

What happened next was a complete blur.

I whipped around, about to scoop up Bunny, only to see him already gone, hopping out of my jacket and shooting like a blur into the closest place he saw. Unfortunatly, that place was directly behind him, into the steel dog cage. My heart stopped beating as this sped-up moment took place, seeing the dog spin and leap into the cage where Bunny was pressed against the back, looking desperatly for a way out.

I acted, throwing myself forward and grabbing the bloodthirsty hound by its hindlegs, using all of my strength to pull it from the cage and toss it as hard as I could against the far wall, hearing it bounce off and give off a whine. But I didn't care. I didn't focus. I'd gone into insinct mode, only knowing that I needed to protect Bunny and nothing else seemed of consequence. I lunged into the cage.

I cried out as the metal burned my exposed skin, searing blindingly on my neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, exposed shoulderblades, searing white-hot across my wounds until I felt tears in my eyes. Pure agony that was numbed only by pure shock and adrenaline, reaching back and scooping up a shivering Bunny, backing out of the cage as my arms and back scraped against it, crying out once more as I finally got out.

The dog was out, but stirring. I had to get out, even if it meant into the storm. I pressed Bunny to my chest, not letting him go once as I struggled on my jacket, wincing and letting out a whine or two as it brushed agonizingly against the many, many black marks covering my arms, shoulders, back, and neck. It all burned, it all stung, but I didn't care. I had to get Bunny out. Had to get Bunny safe. I zipped up the jacket, flinging open the door and sprinting out into the storm.

I was so blindly worried, terrified, going into almost a subconcious state, that I didn't even realize the storm was now just a mild snowfall. And yet flying seemed almost impossible through the now-blinding pain, the adrenaline and fear slowly ebbing away and letting me feel the full reprocussions of leaping into a metal cage.

I was dipping in the air, not able to keep a high altitude before falling back to the ground, only to kick off and try again. I was panting, heart pounding, pulse racing, sweat falling down the back of my neck as I finally looked forward and saw something that I considered a life-saver.

It was a large rock, probably part of the bottom of the mountain farther off in the distance, with a massive opening and an even larger boulder near it. I headed straight for it just as my energy gave out, falling to the snow and stumbling into the darkness of the small cave. I panted heavily, turning only to send a weak, slow trail of sparks to strenuously shove the boulder across the entrance of the cave until only a small sliver of light was visible.

They immediatly darted towards me as I fell to my knees, and then onto my back. They ghosted over me, settling above us without needing any instruction, doing their best to radiate a mild warmth. The cave itself was reletively warm, if not dark. But I didn't notice, only rolling over onto my left side and curling up with my knees almost to my chest, unzipping the jacket and sliding my arms out of it, keeping it around both myself and Bunny as I wrapped my bare arms around him, letting the cold try to do something for the pain etched across my body.

His fur was still soft, as I pulled him close to me and he gently snuggled, barely shaking, my entire body limp and energy drained. In throbbing, burning pain. A snowstorm outside. On a cave floor. All of these things, and yet, by some odd miracle, maybe from the steady thrum of the small rabbit in my arms and the warmth he emitted, I slowly closed my eyes, slipping slowly and peacefully into actual sleep.

_Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

It was warm. That was the first thing that alerted me as a dream of carrot cake and egg-shaped chocolates and into a dark, warm area. The last I could recall, I was a softball-sized housepet...and it was achingly cold...and then the cabin...and then Boston, when she told me about how the other spirits used to abuse her, about how furious it made me...then the dog.

My eyes snapped open as I registered that, right before going into a kind of shock-induced state, some bloodthirsty monster was trying to make me its midnight munchie! But where I was didn't seem at all like a stomach. In fact, it looked more like a cave, small and dark, with the faint, gentle sound of a light breeze billowing somewhere past my feet, where I assumed the opening was. Something bright caught my eye, and I turned my head a bit, still mildly groggy, and saw ten dancing sparks, jumping in a circle and radiating a small, comforting heat.

A heat that spread from my head to my toes. Which, by the feel of it, was a long distance apart... My head moved quickly, looking myself up and down and seeing my full 6,1 stature, lean and dangerous, just like I should be. I didn't even care how this had happened, just wanting to jump in the air and cheer and...

And I was holding something. My arms were wrapped around something warm...and small...and...and..

Holy Manny, I was holding Boston. I looked down, waiting and flinching, expecting some form of violence to be inflicted on me for holding her. But a moment came and went, and as I slowly looked back down, I realized something. Something that made my ears slowly droop down onto my head, made my heart stop, and everything else seem dull and insignificant.

Boston was sleeping. She had actually fallen asleep...but that couldn't be right, because that meant that..that...she trusted me. Right?... Now I almost wanted to know what had happened last night after that mongrol attacked me, to make her actually fall asleep around me. And while part of me knew that A) I was comically(as she had pointed out) tiny and couldn't do any real harm to her, and B) She was probably exauhsted beyond all measure from flying through that storm and evidently saving me from the greyhound from hell, the other part felt almost...proud.

Proud that I'd gotten her to trust me. And a little something else, like an exaggerated happy feeling.

Not that I was paying any attention to either side, with the sight in front of me. I'd assumed that a sleeping Boston would be almost as alert and dangerous-looking as the awake Boston, with a tight scowl and on-edge, like she was about to snap awake at any moment. But that wasn't what I was looking at right now. To be honest, what I was looking at was a little..shocking.

All of the anger and danger was taken out of her, leaving an innocent-looking child, sleeping peacefully and calmly. Her face was relaxed, not a line anywhere, almost smiling but not quite. Her body was moving slowly, completely at ease and curled up like a child. Part of her face was buried in my chest fur, almost like she'd nuzzled it in her sleep and now rested her forehead against it, like a pillow, her hair slightly messy in what was, and I never thought I'd describe Boston like this, an adorable way.

And for a flash of an instant, anger flared inside me. How could any spirit, any at all, attack something this bloody beautiful? How was it possible to even lay a finger on such a tranquil-looking girl...and in that moment I swore, as ridiculous as it sounded, I'd never let another spirit hurt her in her sleep ever, ever again...

The jacket was acting like a blanket over her and probably me when I was smaller, her arms out of the sleeves and clinging unseen to the fur on my stomach, lightly but at the same time with almost a sense of urgency, like she was trying to keep me there. I'd never seen her like this, so vunerable and...and calm, normal almost. And I was captured for a second, wanting to just lay there and look at her, let this moment last.

I'd gotten some of what I didn't know I wanted, over the course of last night. I understood a major reason why she was so guarded. I saw her in a completely new state. I was, terrifyingly, seeing Boston in a new light. And, to be honest, it wasn't that bad. In fact...and I couldn't believe it, of all the things I've seen and experienced over my lengthy existance...I was afraid that something for Boston was growing inside me, that maybe...maybe she was getting a bit too close to my heart..

Speaking of getting close to hearts, I just dawned on me that I'd fallen asleep while burrowed in an area that I'd spent a better part of yesterday trying not to press too hard against. Therefore, whenever I'd grown to my normal size, it resulted in Boston's...well...'woman bits'...being pressed rather firmly against my stomach.

If I could blush, I would have been redder than North's coat. A heat pooled on my face as my eyes widened, trying to think of any way to get out of this situation and have Boston wake up and not pound me into next Easter. Slowly, very, very slowy, I managed to ease back a bit, until I realized her fingers were interwoven in the fur on my stomach. A tingling sensation ran up my spine, feeling her breath on my chest and hands on my pelt as I tried to scoot away, trying to ignore it.

Finally, after a few minuets, Boston stirred a bit. Her hands let go a bit and I took the opportunity to shoot into a sitting position like I'd been there the whole time, looking down as she made little noises, stirring. 'Damn, for a borderline sociopath, she can look pretty adorable...' I thought, as she made a small noise in her throat and made a face where her eyebrows pulled together and her nose crinkled, then her eyelids fluttered open.

And there were those brilliant yellow eyes, squinting as the sparks immediatly descended to her like she was their mother, bouncing up and down on her face as she shook her head and cursed,

"Gedoffa me, freakin...things." She yawned and looked over, seeing me and immediatly narrowing her eyes. I waited, wondering what she was going to say, a bit nervous. Angry? She did fall asleep around me, maybe she really didn't mean to. Yes, angry, or tired, or embarased...

"You're not small and fluffy." I paused, wondering if that was seriously the only reaction she had as she mused a bit sadly, "I liked you small and fluffy." Immediatly on the offense, almost instinctive at this point, I muttered,

"An I liked ya asleep and quiet."

"Hey, I- Mph!"She stifled a curse as she pushed herself up, wincing harshly as her body tensed. I watched as, when she was finally sitting up, the jacket fell from her shoulders, the sparks illuminating her body.

I gasped, eyes wide and heart dropping into my gut. This was...how the bloody hell...?!

_Boston's p.o.v****_

Shit. Shit shit shit. This hurt. And when I say hurt, I meant hurt _bad, _ like hundreds of little burns all over my arms and neck. The only thing that made it worse was the Bunny was seeing it, after having seen me sleeping of all things that I could have done. I looked down, an odd embarrasing feeling filling me as he shot forward and grabbed my arms, shocked that they didn't cause any further harm but instead almost soothed a few with the soft pads.

"Bloody hell! What happened to ya?!"He exclaimed, and I could have sworn it was actual concern in his voice. I kept my head down, a bit embarrased, as I mummbled,

"You ran into the cage. The dog was going to get you."

There was a long silence after that, feeling his eyes on me as I tried to look anywhere but his face. Tried to focus on anything but this... And then I realized. It was a quick thought, one quickly diminished by a next set of actions, but all the same it was there, and it would stay with me, twisting inside me like a weed or a disease...

I fell asleep around him, and I didn't get hurt.

"C'mon, I'm takin' ya ta North, now tha' I'm a decent height. Jackie'll heal those up and maybe explain how in the bloody hell I got back ta this."Bunny said, and I nodded quietly. He moved away from me for a second, and I tried to stand up.

Which turned out to not be such a good idea. My legs immediatly gave away and I fell to my knees, cringing and stifling a loud curse by biting my lip, tensing as a soreness and pain shot through me like a fire.

"Hey now,"I heard, in a surprisingly soft voice, feeling two hands wrap under my arms, "Ya did enough yesta'day, just relax." Now was the time for me to make some remark about how soft and gentle he was being, but one couldn't seem to come to mind. Instead, I let him slowly help me to my feet and then scoop me up, reaching down and throwing my jacket over me as he held me to his chest.

"Jus' hold still, promise?"He said strictly, as I shrugged, then winced.

"You were held against my chest and turned out fine. Don't see why it shouldn't work the other way around."I mused, and he stiffened.

"Ay, d-don' bring tha up!"He shouted, and I tried and failed to surpress a smile.

"Don't worry, I've got pleanty of other things to tell the others."

"I can jus' leave ya here, ya know!"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh? An' wha makes ya so sure?"

"...I slept."

"An'?"

"And didn't get hurt."

There was a small moment, as I looked against the side of the cave wall and saw the ten little sparks form into something looking dangerously like a heart. I glared at them and mouthed something, making them scatter. Luckily, Bunny didn't seem to notice, as he said,

"'Course ya didn't."

And it seemed like a simple response. But, to me, it was huge. Because no one had ever made me trust them like this before. Not even Pitch.

"Hold on."Bunny said, and I looked up, asking,

"Why- HOLY!" I screamed as we fell again, Bunny laughing as he took off down the tunnel and shouting,

"I'd think ya'd get used ta it afta' awhile!"

"If you warned me first, you fu-"

He cut me off by suddenly dipping lower, almost making me fall and fourcing me to reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself to it as he finally evened out, feeling his warm and agreeably soft fur as we kept on going.

"...Don't say anything."I ordered, and all I got in response was a chuckle as we made the short journey underground, upwards.

Five minuets later, we jumped out of the hole and arrived right in the center of the over look, where the hole closed the second Bunny was out.

"Boston!"

"Bunny!" Jack and Tooth both shot to us immediatly, me quickly taking my arms from Bunny's neck before they could notice. North and Sandy barreled up right behind them, everyone looking a mix of relieved and concerned as Bunny set me on my feet, making sure I was stable before removing my jacket. They all gasped, Tooth falling to her feet with wide eyes.

"I'll explain later. It involves a greyhound making Bunny its bitch, so believe me I'll be overjoyed to re-tell it after Frostbite makes these things stop aching like hell."I said, trying to get everyone to stop looking like I had a severed limb. Jack got a big smile on his face and exclaimed,

"Let's get to it then!"

As he spent the next few minuets poking me with that damned staff, icing and frosting the cuts and burns, me flinching in pain every time but refusing to accept any consulation, Bunny asked a question on everyone's mind.

"So, how the bloody hell did I turn back inta...well..."

"This less-fluffy, much less adorable version of himself?"I finished, wincing harshly as Jack frosted the one on my shoulder, which was one of the worst. Jack himself beamed and exclaimed,

"I was the first to catch on to what was happening! So I whipped up a bunch of snowstorms all over the globe and used the snow to create my own Easter eggs!" North pulled out something from his coat, Bunny hopping up to observe it. It was a small, clear, perfectly scultped into the shape of an egg, looking more like glass than ice, with little designs on it and a bunny carved on part of it.

It was amazing, especially coming from this little punk.

"The kids didn't even care that there wasn't any candy! It was a special egg that wouldn't melt!"Jack exclaimed, and Bunny looked at him with wide eyes.

"Ya did tha fer me, kid?"

"Aw,"Jack said, laughing, "Don't get all sentimental on me, Cottontail."

"Wait,"I interrupted, still confused, "The nightmares-"

"Sandy took care of them!"Tooth exclaimed, and I looked over at the small man, surprised. He was blushing a bit, looking down embarrased at his sand-cloud. "He defeated the ones going for the kids, and then gave the ones who were already affected the best dreams he could think up! It was wonderful, like it never even happened!"Tooth continued.

I paused a second, looking at the little guy. So, he really did protect the kids then, huh?...I fucking hate it when I'm wrong.

"Good job, Sandy."I nodded, and he looked at me surprised. I looked away before he did something sentimental, just as Jack finished up the scars on my body. I relaxed, the pain ebbing away as I cracked my neck and streached, Tooth fluttering over and handing me the jacket, that I quickly pulled on.

"So,"Jack said, excited with a mischevious twinkle in his eyes, "What exactly happened?"


	14. Severing Strings

_-I apologize if it's a little short. I tried not to rush anything and to make it the best chapter I could, but I really wanted to update today because it's...A very special Birthday Update for one of my reviewers! Happy Birthday Kay, I hope you enjoy it!-_

_-Burgess- Pitch's p.o.v****_

It was a detail that anyone could overlook. Almost certainly she had, but I couldn't blame her. She'd died so young, and even as an enormously powerful immortal, her teenage mind couldn't hold onto memories as long as it would have taken to remember this place. This forest. I stood right where I currently was, a long long time ago, before the man I am today overtook the weakness of who I had been.

In a dark forest, clearing my mind. And then she came along, a single piece of light in a thick darkness. I looked over to where it had happened, a simple patch of grass that I'd stood upon when I first saw her, first approached her, first felt the sting of her powers. It played in front of me, like a movie I didn't want to see. Our scuffle, until I saw her face. A familiar face, one almost every existing spirit had memorized after the news of fall from grace.

I'd been told stories about it, had read the record book and seen the sketch of her person. Like every spirit, I knew her the instant I saw her. But the picture did not do her justice. The stories failed to mention how, yes, her eyes were sharp and deadly, but that they were also vibrant, briliant, with a black edging that faded into a deep, striking yellow that made the sun jealous every time she opened her eyes. Or how her skin was pale, yes, but would glow even in the darkest time of night if you looked close enought.

And how, yes, she was powerful and on-edge and vicious. But there was also something else deep inside there, something tragic. Something wonderful. And it enraptured me, it held me fast and would not let me go from that moment forward. It was a string from her to me, one I'd tried to sever long, long ago, wished away.

But I was not one to fool myself. It was still there, strong though her end was fraying more and more every day. Mine was strong, but I couldn't let it be that way.

A childish squeal came from down the path, laughter that boiled in my veins. I slunk deep into the shadows, the hard hilt of the dagger smooth in my palm. I would cut that string. Even if it meant destroying the one thing I cherished more than fear.

_-At the Pole- Boston's p.o.v****_

"Aren't you too young to drink?"Jack asked, as I set down a bottle of what North called 'Pepermint Light', some sort of alcohol that, once I got past the name, I had to admit was freaking great. It was warm and tasted like pepermint frosting, something I needed after that torturous session with Jack healing the cuts on my body for a second time, just to make sure they would be gone by tomorrow.

"I'm over two thousand years old. I think AA can stay away from me."I mused, cracking my knuckles and leaning back in my chair.

"Oi, Frostbite, Firecracker, where the bloody hell are ya!"I heard Bunny call, and I rolled my eyes.

"Really, Firecracker? Couldn't come up with something better than that?"I called back, walking out of the kitchen and to the overlook where Bunny stood impatiently, smirking as I walked over to him.

"I'd call ya somethin' else, but Jackie here's too pure a' heart ta hear it."He teased, and I laughed.

"Whatever, Fluffy," His eyes grew wide and Jack fell over in a fit of laughter, much like the one he'd had when I went into detail about how Bunny had turned into his much-more-adorable self, "What's up, why'd you call us here?" Bunny gave me a stern look and said scoldingly,

"Jack's here."

"..."We were both silent, confused as to what Jack's presence had to do with anything. Bunny rolled his eyes and exhaled like we were the most idiotic beings he knew, and explained like he was talking to preschoolers,

"Jack's here. That means it's your turn fer rounds." I raised my eyebrows, having completely forgot about rounds since my little adventure yesterday with Bunny. I frowned, realizing that I hated it more when Bunny was right then when I was wrong, and snatched the globe in his hand.

"An' don't drop it."He added in, making me turn and shoot a spark at him. He yelped and jumped, dodging in and out of the angry little things way as I threw the globe and jumped through the portal, laughing and winking back at him.

"Have fun, I think she likes you!"I called, right before I fell through the colored circle and out into a familiar neighborhood, catching the globe as it fell into my hands, soaring down and landing softly on a roof. I knew I had to make my rounds soon, but in all of the chaos on Easter I'd forgotten to give Sophie her egg. I'd checked and double checked that all it contained was a jumping, excited spark, one that wouldn't go out.

That way, if she ever needed a nightlight, she could open the egg and there it would be.

"Boston!"I looked down, surprised to see Sophie and Jamie out of the house at 1 in the afternoon, both beaming up at me as I jumped down, landing in front of them.

"Hey guys, what happened to school? Don't tell me I'm being a bad influence, Bunny wont let me hear the freakin' end of it."I groaned, and Jamie laughed while Sophie just ran up at me, wrapping her arms around my legs and exclaiming,

"Boston!"I laughed and knelt, rustling her hair as Jamie said excitedly,

"Jack gave us a snowweek, after what happened on Easter."I smiled and reminded myself to thank Jack for that. If these guys could be safe and happy for a week, it didn't matter how many snowstorms I had to fly through.

"That's good."And then a thought came to me. A very irresponsible and childish thought. I smiled at Sophie and said, "Hey, wanna go flying real quick? I've got a present for you." She gasped and nodded so vigorously that her hair flew irratically, making me and Jamie laugh as I picked her up.

"She has to be home by dinner, bad influence!"Jamie shouted up as I took to the air, and I had to give the kid a few props. Maybe, if I kept working at it, his wit could rival my own and together we could drive Bunny into insanity like he'd done to me. It was a nice thought.

Sophie cheered as I did spirals and dips, eventually flying over a forest and slowly descending, making Sophie laugh as I purposefully let branches rub across her face, getting snow her hair. I touched down onto the snow, the white stuff crunching under my feet as Sophie hopped up and down.

"Present!"She exclaimed, stumbling a bit over the word in her growing vocabulary. I beamed, leaning down and saying,

"You'll have to catch me first!" With that I turned, running quicklly over the snow fast, but not too fast for her to not be able to keep about two feet between us. Her giggles rang through the air, a sheer happiness that was unguarded in children at her age. A happiness they should all have. A happiness that I couldn't protect in a girl like her once.

But that was over, and I felt that I was doing a pretty damn good job in my second chance. After a few minuets, I slowed down, giving Sophie the opportunity to tackle me to the snow with a surprising amount of strength. I rolled over and held her to me, blowing on her neck and making her shriek with laughter, wriggling out of my grasp and panting with a smile cemented on her face. I got a hold of my breath before I got to a knee, reaching into my jacket pocket and smiling at Sophie.

"Close your eyes, okay?"She did as she was told, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she bounced a bit, both hands held out expectantly. I removed the egg and gave it a quick kiss, before laying it in her palms and saying,

"Okay, open."

Her eyes flew open and she saw the egg, gasping in delight as my heart lifted, seeing her happy at the gift. Quickly, she opened it, the top popping off as the single spark bobbed excitedly at her, up and down as her eyes widened. I watched as her jaw dropped in amazement, and I felt a warmth spread in my chest, being able to make her so happy with anything I could do.

"See, its a spark. Like the ones I use."I explained, as she held it closer for a look, "So if you ever need a nightlight, it's right there." Her eyes suddenly lit up and she hugged the egg to her, me about to say something when my voice was cut short by another.

"What a wonderful play on words. Didn't take you for the poetic type, my dear."

I stiffened, a shiver running down my neck. Of course he would be here. Of course I was happy, and he had to break it. Sophie looked up, confused, but I blocked her vision, standing up in front of her with my back to the owner of the voice. An anger stirred in my chest...but nothing else. No feelings. No bonds. Maybe a slight resonance of something that used to be, but it was faded and broken, somewhere lost in the past. The past week seemed to have turned everything I once knew into what it truly was, changing not just perception of things, but my feelings.

And now, that time when I was a puppet seemed long ago, almost like a fairy tale.

I felt free.

"Pitch, I'd reccomend you go right now. I don't want Sophie to have to see you broken."I said calmly, Sophie looking from my leg to the spark in her hands. There was a silence, and then,

"They've changed you, haven't they? And you've let them. What happened to the girl who was free to do what she wanted? Who obeyed no one? That girl, who so prided herself on belonging to no one. What has she become now?" He was trying to get under my skin. He was trying to manipulate me. But there was something in his voice, something that wasn't there the previous times.

It was desperation. Almost imperceptable, but I of all people could hear it. He knew. I knew. His grip on me was failing, the only thing he had to keep me was falling. And it felt...free. I squared my shoulders, looking down at Sophie as a sense of complete freedom filled me. His words didn't bend my will. His presence didn't render me useless. I felt like Boston, as I had been before he became Pitch Black. Before he broke everything. Broke me.

"She cut her strings."I said simply. There was a silence that followed, weighing thousands of tons. A silence that stiffened. I swore, I could almost hear the King of Nightmares gasp sharply. Silently. Then.

"Fine then."He spat, and I spun around just as I heard the crunch of snow, about to keep him away from Sophie, away from me, forever.

But none of that happened.

I felt it sink in before the pain, felt the tug and the serration of the blade, right under my navel, across from an old and familiar scar, sliding through me suddenly, as if I'd turned into it. And then the pain.

The only reason I didn't cry out right then and there was the sound of Sophie, making a confused little noise behind me. No. I had to fight it. I couldn't let her know anything was wrong. Couldn't scare her like that. But god, did it hurt. Hurt so bad that I felt like he'd just torn me in half, a scorching heat licking up my veins, exploding on the surface of my skin. A sharp agony that I remembered well, too well. One that had happened before, parallel to it.

A memory. Back against a stone. Eyes, so full of hatred and rage and regret. A knife, sharp and gleaming. Then an eruption of pain, of fire, of sharp stinging, of blinding, white-hot agony enveloping my entire being. Shock. Betrayal. Pain.

I fought it, the urge to make a sound, through the torture.

"...If they wanted to take you from me so badly, then they can have you. They can have your corpse."Pitch whispered, but I heard it. It wasn't even hidden. The crack in his voice. The shaking of his hand as it slipped from the dagger, leaving it implanted in me. A warm, sticky substance that I hadn't felt since I became immortal, not even on my worst wounds.

The pain. Not in me. In his voice. His agony. His betrayal. His regret.

And then he was gone, and Sophie was behind me, tugging on my pant leg. My entire body was stiff, cold sweat on the back of my neck.

"Spark? Spark?"She asked. Sophie. Yes, that's right. I have to get to the Pole, get there and get North and the others and tell them what Pitch has done, to go and keep the children safe. But I couldn't leave her, couldn't let her go home alone. I felt my knees grow weak as I fell to one, hunching over as much as it increased the pain, hiding the dagger with one hand on it, tears about to well up in my eyes.

It hurt. It hurt so, so much. But I couldn't let her know that.

"H-hey...S-Sophie...y-you wanna...you wanna g-go see...t-the Easter B...Bunny?"I asked, and she gasped, exclaiming,

"Easter Bunny, hop hop hop!" I fourced a laugh, my voice shaking and sounding horribly strained, but she was buying it and that was all I needed.

"O-okay! Just...reach into my...l-left...pocket. It's a magic...magic snow globe."I said, voice hitching as the pain threatened to break me apart. I felt her hand rummage in my pocket before pulling out the snowglobe, holding it protectively in her hands as I nodded vigorously.

"Good!...Throw it..."I tried to keep my voice even, lungs on fire, as Sophie did her best to pull back the snowglobe and then chuck it, the portal bursting open. I'd never been so happy to see it in my life. I just had to get through there. I just had to live long enough to tell them to attack Pitch, to do something. And then I could die. But not before, not one second before I knew the children were safe.

"Awesome...job. L-let's hop in...okay?"I managed out, and she nodded, closing the egg in her hands and starring at the portal in wonder. How I wasn't sure, but I managed to get to my feet, legs shaking violently as I wrapped an arm around Sophie's shoulders and stumbled awkwardly through, Sophie keeping up at my side as we fell through the portal.

I collapsed, falling to my knees and hunching over to shield the dagger from view, hearing the snowglobe fall noisily beside me.

"Oi, sheila, what's the big idea? I know yer fast, but ye've only been gone thirty bloody minuets, ya gumby!"Bunny's voice rang out, hopping up to the overlook.

"Easter Bunny!"Sophie exclaimed, and I nodded.

"Y-yeah, look! Now you go play, Santa's workshop is...is downstairs! Tons of...toys!"I tried, seeing a blur of green, then gold, then blue and red as the Guardians gathered in front of me. Sophie gasped and, disregarding anything else, sprinted behind me and down the stairs.

"Boston? Vat es the meaning of visit? You bring child to North Pole when we have much to attend to! Not to mention Christmas es mere 9 months away!"North reasoned, my hearing fading in and out. I couldn't make it. I couldn't tell them in time. I just hoped they would understand.

"We have bigger problems."

With a jolt, I pulled the dagger from my stomach. I heard a high-pitched gasp, the world around me beginning to waver and dissapear. I felt the dagger drop from my hand, but didn't hear the sound of it falling, as if it were muted. A cold spread over my body, then a strange heat. Then the voices, echoing in a dead memory...

_'You wanted this! It's your fault! I..I don't deserve this!'_

_'Alena! Mommy stop!'_

"Boston, how did this happen?!"

_'Why couldn't you just be good?!'_

"Get to infirmary! Yeti will take care!"

_'It's alright Safa, stay inside. It's going to be okay. I promise.'_

"Yer gonna be okay sheila...I promise, yer gonna be okay."

_'Stop Mommy! Why are you crying?'_

_'Safa stay inside! I'll protect you, don't worry!'_

_'I'll end it! I'll be happy! I can't take this anymore! It's all your fault! Just..just die!"_

"Sheila, don't you dare die on me! Don't you dare!"

"Bunny, the yetis have to get to her!"

_'Alena!'_

_'Safa!'_

_'Die!'_

_'Mommy!'_

_'...Nightlight...'_

"Boston!"

_'The Guardian of Dreams.'_

"...Sheila.."

_'DIE!'_


	15. Need You To Stay

_-North Pole- Bunnymund's p.o.v****_

She wasn't supposed to bleed. We were immortal, no matter how badly we got hit, we never bled. At least, I'd never seen it. And she was strong. Stronger than anyone I knew, anyone I ever bloody would know! She was Boston for Manny's sake, _the _most dangerous, powerful spirit to ever step foot on Earth!

But she bled. A lot. It still stained the overlook, a deep, ugly red stain on the tiles that Tooth was trying in vain to clean up. Jack was doing his best to assist her, using snow as water, but from what I could hear between Tooth's muffled sobs and Jack's strained whispers, that was a stain that would never come out. A stain like the memory of her, crouched there. I should have known something was wrong. She would never have slacked on her rounds, not her.

But I immediatly insinuated she was up to no good. Why couldn't I just believe that she was doing something right for once? Why couldn't I be unlike all of those other damned spirits and see the good in her instead of all that she'd done wrong? I didn't blame her now for not trusting us, when it took me so long to trust her. I had to be turned into a purse-pet, have her protect me with everything she had, to trust that girl.

It didn't matter, anyway. I buried my face further into my paws, sitting on the couch near the workshop, in front of the fireplace, not able to do more than sulk. At least the others were doing something, with Jack and Tooth on clean-up duty, North in the room that Boston was being tended to in, Sandy out making rounds and making sure Sophie fell asleep peacefully.

Sophie. Boston had put on a brave face, just to make sure Sophie didn't know what was going on. To protect her. And I realized that everything Boston said and did, all of it, had a reason. All of it was true. It wasn't fair. Wasn't fair that the strongest out of all of us, the one who risked her life for children, who lived for children, couldn't be a Guardian. It wasn't fair that she wasn't given a reason. It wasn't fair the other spirits abused her. It wasn't fair Pitch used her. It wasn't fair that she was alone all those years.

It wasn't fair she was dying. Because that's what was happening, wasn't it? She was bleeding, the image of her quickly yanking the dagger from her stomach, remembering the distinct irony smell of blood as little crimson veins stained the blade of the dagger. The puddle of blood that formed under her after she collapsed, spreading way too quickly. It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that the one moment that I realized just how damn much I'd let myself care about her was the moment when I'd probably never get to see her again.

For the first time, I cursed Manny.

"..Bunny."North's voice said softly beside me, but I was too numb to do anything, so I just sat there, cradling my head in my paws. "Come friend. You can see her."

This one sentence almost lightened the heavy, sickening weight on my chest, almost. If I could see her that meant she was alive. But it also meant I'd see the extent of the damage done to her, and... I didn't know if I was ready for that. Didn't know if I'd ever be. But all I cared about was being near her, seeing her, feeling her.

So I stood up and went ahead of everyone, climbing the stairs and going across the overlook, giving the stain a massive girth, walking into a hall and taking the first door on the right. I nearly threw the bloody door open, rushing into the room and not caring if I looked like an idiot, I just had to see her.

And while I did want to see her, to be with her, some part of me coiled at the sight before me. This...this wasn't Boston. She wasn't supposed to look like this. No...no this was...this was terrible.

It was like a dying lightbulb, for lack of a better comparison. All of the light that once shone brightly on her was now dull and slowly dimming, like a dying animal or the sun as it faded right before Manny came up. Hair a slowly dulling yellow, almost blonde. Skin pale, far far too pale, with too many shadows around her cheeks and eyes. Lids closed, hiding those eyes from me, the eyes I never thought I'd want to see so damn badly.

Her mouth was set in a frown, relaxed and yet stiff at the same time. I'd almost think she were sleeping, had I not been the sole spirit to have actually seen that. There were no scrunches here and there, no relaxed, happy innocence that you'd never expect in a million years to come from Boston. This was stiff. This was dying.

And as horrible as that was, I was in no way prepared to see the rest. The blanket that was supposed to be over her was being quickly carried away by a yeti, a deep and concerningly large red splotch in the center. And I saw the cause all too soon.

I had to grip the edge of the bed, hunched, just to stay upright. I felt like this wound was my own, like I'd gotten it. Like I'd gotten stabbed in the gut.

Just below her navel, a thicker than thick white bandage was tapped securely. It had to have been at least three inches thick, but already a pinprick of blood was seeping on the surface, the underside a complete layer of red.

"Stitches do not stop de bleeding. We did best we could, but..." I ignored him, eyes falling on something else as he trailed off. Amoungst a dying light, one thing still seemed to glow a bit, something I didn't expect.

Parallel to the new, bleeding wound, both of them making an upside-down, open V towards her navel, lay a pale yellow scar, less than three inches in length and thin, marking clearly on her flesh. But...how? She didn't scar, that was one thing I remembered distinctly from her wounds she inflicted upon herself to save me. No matter how deep or ugly the burns from metal were, in a day or two they dissapeared without a trace. So how did this scar?...

And then I realized. It was the perfect shape for a dagger.

Lightly, almost absentmindedly, I ran a thumb lightly across it. A delicate touch, much like the ones I'd always given her, some odd part of me thinking that if I pressed too hard on her she might break. Which was ridiculous, because she was so strong...then again. Look at her now.

"What's that?"Jack asked, lost of his usual wonder and charm. There was just...worry.

"Es mark Boston sustained from death, before she became Guardian."

"So...you mean...from when she was human?"Tooth asked delicatly, and I narrowed my eyes. That time, in the Warren, when she got so..odd, about mentioning her past life... What had happened to make her so shut off from it? How did she die? I suddenly had to know.

"How."I demanded, and a heavy silence was punctuated a few moments later by North's careful, delicate, heavy tone.

"...I do not know. Boston outlives all of us by many years, her death es long-standing mystery in almost all spirits. Only two living know how she died as human girl."

"Who."I demanded again, no question, just a harsh tone of need.

"Manny es one...but..."

"But!"I snapped, not angry at North, but the whole bloody situation. My eyes flickered between the scar to the quickly-bloodying bandage. There should be no 'but's, there should only be action and...and...

"He es silent on particular subject."North said, and it weighed in the air. I felt my chest constrict, anger boiling white-hot in my veins. He was silent. Of course he was bloody silent.

And suddenly my thoughts were pouring from my mouth, unable to stop them as I raged,

"That bloody sonofabitch!"I felt them all cringe behind me, "When has he eva' been there for her?! She's his bloody kid, his child, an' the basta'd has the nerve ta abandon her! Ta leave her all alone for centuries and not do one bloody thing about it! Why the bloody hell did he even send us to get her help?! WHY! I WANNA BLOODY KNOW WHY HE DID ALL OF THIS TO HER AND WONT EVEN SAVE HER BLOODY LIFE! WHA' DID SHE DO TA DESERVE ANY A' THIS?! DAMN MANNY!"

The room was suddenly silent, the only noise my pants and shaky breaths, fighting back tears for the first time since I could remember. I felt drained. I felt...felt...hopeless.

"...Bunny-"

"No. Bunny's right."I was surprised to hear the words coming from Jack's mouth, the spirit floating over to the window next to Boston's bed and sitting with his back on the frame, facing her with his knees pulled up and staff in one hand, a frown and anger creasing his face. I could see a few frozen tears beginning to thaw on his lower lids.

"It's not fair. Manny just sends us here with no explination, and then he takes everything from her. Now he wont help. She means something to us, to the children. How could he do something like this?"Jack's voice cracked, biting his lip harshly as his eyes shone with pre-tears.

"..I cannot explain vat Man in Moon es thinking. But we cannot dwell on fact."North said, voice sounding conflicted itself. "There es one other spirit who knows. One other spirit that Boston told story of death...I don't need to tell who it es."

And he didn't, because I knew instantly. I knew, and suddenly I had no other wish in the world than to go and rip the man limb from limb, show him all of the pain he'd caused her, he'd caused all of us. I shook, the fury building inside me, hating every second that went by when I wasn't searching for him, hunting him, destroying him...

"You think...you think he re-created her death?..If she were stabbed, and then he stabbed her...to harm a spirit in the exact way they died, that's the only way to...to kill them."Tooth whispered, horrified. Jack tensed, and North was about to talk, but my voice, hoarse and scratchy, interrupted him.

"I'll kill 'im."I found myself muttering quietly, voice shaking. How dare he try to take her from me? From us? He had no right, after all that he'd done to her, to take something so beautiful from the Earth. He had no right to have been given enough trust to be told her past. To abuse it.

I'd never cared about anyone, anyone, like I cared about her. She came to us and we didn't understand her. Back then, if she got hurt, I wouldn't give it more than a thought or a word or two. I might have hurt her myself, finally snapped and attacked her. If she ran off like she wanted to, if I hadn't followed her to the forest, I'd have erased her from my memory.

But I didn't understand her back then. And the second I did understand, the second I started to see who she was, to peel back her layers, I realized something terrifying. She was part of me now. I didn't know how she'd weasled her way in there, but she had, with her games and her sparks and her words and her wit and her light and goddamnit I needed this girl! If she died, so would that massive part of me that she'd stolen.

If I could go back and prevent ever having understood her, I would. I would take away that part of my life she dominated. I would take away every feeling, every stumble, every word, every smile, every understanding, every moment, I would take it all away and prevent this horrible, agonizing pain I was in. But I couldn't go back. It had happened.

"And we will."North agreed, mildly surprising me. His voice shook a bit, even though he was still trying to keep up his 'leader' act. "But first, Boston's health is top priority. Pitch knew how she died, and attacked her with same method. This means that Boston's life is in critical danger, and ve must help her while keeping Boogeyman at bay."

"Why don't we just go barging into that hole Pitch is in and take care of him!"Jack shouted, frost spiderwebbing on the sill he sat on.

"Many reasons!"North retorted, walking to the other side of Boston, his eyes catching her for a moment and a pain, a sadness flew across his face before he continued, voice softer, "Pitch vill be expecting retaliation attack. Boston is our only hope of getting rid of King of Nightmares for good...and...Little Boston needs us."

The room went silent again, no one with any objections. Just silence, and sadness, and desperation. Desperation mainly on my part, because yes, I was desperate to see her eyes again, to talk to her, to hear whatever rude remark she wanted to throw my way.

And in order to hear that, I needed to get her better.

"Do you have any plan on gettin' her betta'?"I asked, and North looked up for a moment out of my periphrial vision.

"...Well, as of moment, Boston is caught in what es called a Nightmare Memory. A memory of when she died. If we don't stop it before Boston remembers death, then..."He trailed off, not wanting to say the obvious concequence. My fur bristled as I looked down, the bandage now almost completely red, just the corners remaining a stark white.

"Then why aren't we stoppin' it?!"I demanded, knowing that every passing second was a second where she was closer to her death, however it had happened.

"We have to find way to infiltrate nightmare first!"North defended, but I snapped my head up, looking away from Boston for the first time and seeing how truly tired North looked, lines and shadows across his face. But the answer was so obvious that I couldn't possibly cut him any slack.

"Sandy, ya gumby! Boston taught him how to combat nightmares! Get the bloody wanka' here now before it's too late!"I exclaimed, North's eyes widening for a moment in realization.

"That's right! We need to ge-"Tooth was cut off by a violent gust of icy cold air, ruffling my fur as Jack dissapeared from his spot, having left without prompting. For a moment I thought about how he was the first one of us to break her shell, and it'd be a bloody lie to say that they were anything less than best friends. This was hitting poor Frostbite hard.

I saw Boston shiver out of the corner of my eye and, without hesitation, took the new blanket and pulled it over her, all the way up to her chin, not minding the immediate red pinprick on the sheet. There was no use in re-bandaging it, the blood would flow as fast and long as she was in this state. All I could do was keep her warm and stay here, guard her in case anything else happened.

Because I made that promise to her. I would never let anything hurt her while she was sleeping, ever again.

_-Burgess- Jack's p.o.v****_

No. No no no. No! She was okay. She'd be just fine. We just had to get Sandy, and he would fight her bad dream, because that's all it was! Just a bad dream, and she'd wake right up and be okay in the morning! I had to make sure of it.

The second I spied him, floating out of Sophie and Jamie's house, I nearly tackled him out of the sky. We rolled as I ran into him, the dream sand cloud preventing any serious falls, not that I cared. I only cared about getting him to the Pole as soon as inhumanly possible.

"Sandy!"I exclaimed, as the little man shook his head, disoriented. I gripped his shoulders, panicked and shouting, "Sandy, listen to me!" He did, looking up with a concerned expression and a sand question mark appearing above his head.

I panted, having flown faster than even I thought possible, and said,

"Bunny...Bunny came up with an idea! On how to save Boston!" Sandy perked up, egging me on as I immediatly shot forward, the little man quickly following next to me. Had to get him to the Pole. Had to save Boston. I didn't want to lose her, not after we became friends! She was my friend, I protected my friends!

"She's having a nightmare about her death, and if she gets to the part where she dies, then she'll really die! Unless you can get into the nightmare and battle it like Boston showed you how to. Now hurry up! You have to save her!"I shouted back, hearing my voice crack as the wind whipped past us. Sandy gave no sand images next to me, just stared ahead in deep thought for a moment.

Then gave his brave little face, like the one he had when he fought Pitch, and nodded firmly. We were going to save Boston. We _had to._

_-A Nightmare- Boston's p.o.v***_

_"Alena, what's that?"_

_"Hm? Whatcha talking about, Safa?"_

_"That sissy! It look like...like a really pretty egg!"_

_"Hahahaha!"_

_"Stop it! Don't laugh at me! That's what it looks like!"_

_"I know! I know, sorry. C'mere, I'll tell you a story."_

_"What kind of story!"_

_"One about this little egg here. Now hurry, we don't want to be late home, Mother wouldn't be happy..."_

_"Okay!"_

_"Now, do you know how this egg got here?"_

_"No, how Alena?!"_

_"A magical creature, one that goes and leaves eggs full of candy once a year, for children to find."_

_"Really?!"_

_"Of course!"_

_"What's its name?"_

_"The Easter Bunny."_

__ _-The Pole- Bunny's p.o.v***_

She was calm, her face relaxed as I stole a small, gentle brush across her forehead, feeling the soft skin as I moved her hair form her lids. That was good, at least we still had some time. But that didn't make the wait any easier, sitting for two hours and no sign of Frostbite or Sandy. North and Tooth were talking outside, yetis occasionally coming in to check her vitals and change the bandage, as if it did any good, and to give her a new blanket.

I never left her side once. I couldn't, thinking that anything could happen to her now, wanting to not miss one moment. Not giving even the slightest chance of anything happening to her.

"...C'mon, sheila."I whispered, pulling the chair I sat in so that I faced her, elbows on the bed and my left paw absentmindedly stroking the light, old scar below her navel, wondering once again how she'd gotten it. And then I remembered how shielded she'd been that one moment. And that led me to thinking about her in the Warren, when she said it was beautiful. Then our games. Then the tunnels. Then the forest. Then opening doors for her. Her short-circut. Painting eggs. Protecting me. Sleeping.

"...Don't bloody leave me, sheila."I choked on my pride, choked back tears, placing my palm over her scar. "Sophie needs ya, ya gumby. So does Frostbite. An' Tooth needs a female 'round here. And yer like a daughter to North, whether ya like it or not. And Sandy...he wants your forgiveness, he wants to be your friend. You're his teacher, to help him get stronga'...

"I need ya...I lo-"

"Bunny!"Jack's cry came through the window, a cold gust making me cringe as he tumbled to the floor, panting and wheezing as Sandy shot through the window, face in a determined scowl. A small weight lifted off of me as North and Tooth barged in, too, everyone keeping a distance as Sandy made an unreadable flash of images.

I was about to call him out and ask what the bloody hell he was saying, but every word shattered.

Under my paw, Boston's entire body convulsed and a strangled noise came from her throat. I looked back at her, eyes wide, her eyes still shut but her jaw painfully clenched and hands curled, digging into the bed beneath her, muscles convulsing tightly as a sheer look of panic crossed her face.

She was dying.

_Boston's p.o.v****_

_"...Alena..."_

_"Safa.."_

_"Mommy's angry."_


	16. Requiem of a Nightmare

_-A Nightmare- Boston's p.o.v***_

_ "We didn't know the time-"_

_"Shut up! Just shut. UP! You're always doing this! You selfish little pagan! I wake up to find you gone, and who do you think had to find dinner?! I'm tired, yet I continue to feed you! I shove food into your mouths and what do you do for me?! Shit!"_

_"Keep that away from me! Stop swinging it, you'll cut someone!"_

_"Silence! I am your mother, I will do what I damn well please! And if that means punishing you then I'll damn well do it!"_

_"Nightlight...wake up..."_

_"Mother stop!"_

_"Safa, stay inside!"_

_"Don't talk to her! You want to turn my little girl against me now, huh? Is that what you two do all day? Is that what you think daughters are supposed to do?! I can't deal with you anymore!"_

_"Old hag! I don't have to turn her against you!"_

_"..."_

_"...I...I didn't mean that, I'm sorry, please just don't-"_

_"Nightlight...my child..."_

_"Alena!"_

_-The Pole- Bunny's p.o.v***_

"Boston!"I shouted, seeing her begin to shake, her breath raggedy and fast, like she was scared.

"Stay back Bunny, Sandy's almost there!"North ordered, the only thing keeping me from her being his massive arms around my stomach, lifting me off the ground. Sandy floated above her on his dream cloud, golden sand dancing across her in swirlls, snaking across her skin and trying to lure out the nightmare by attempting to give Boston a good dream.

It was futile, the good dream part. There was no way he could combat this...nightmare, without seeing it face-to-face. This one was strong, nothing Pitch could control, not one he'd created. This was one that had always inside of her, in the back of her mind, since the day she was re-created. Pitch had just woken it up, but it was far beyond his own control. A horrible feeling was twisting in my gut, that maybe Sandy hadn't been trained hard or long enough to fight something this strong, this deep-rooted in Boston's mind.

But we didn't have any time left to prepare, to worry, or to train.

Suddenly, Sandy lurched back, arms splayed out as an explosion of golden sand flew through the room, shooting out like a land-mine and barely missing us, covering the floor and ceiling as it began to twist. From the explosion, coming from Boston's chest, a maginificent black stallion rose, arching up and throwing it's head back, standing on hind legs and letting out a sound that no horse ever made. It was a loud, gutteral roar, inky-black sand from it's mane shaking out as it flailed about, the stallion shaking with pure anger.

The atmosphere in the room changed, a tightness about it, almost as if the tension had become so great that it intermingled with the fear radiating from the massive nightmare standing there, part of it still buried within Boston, a black series of veins arching from there it's hind hooves stood in her collarbone. It's eyes, deep charcole reds, glared furiously at Sandy, blowing out grey smoke from massive nostrils, the smoke whisping and dancing into Sandy's face.

Sandy's face. Strong, determined, and more pissed off than I ever thought he was capable of. The sand around him no longer flowed elegantly or smoothly, but instead writhed like snakes or spiked up, jumping and dancing as it began to twist around him, coling where his hands were splayed out into balls of glowing, angry golden sand. The nightmare let out a huff, slamming a hoof down onto the bed and causing a massive wave of black sand to erupt in shards, shooting forward towards Sandy.

He moved shockingly fast, those sessions with Boston where I thought she was trying to kill him actually taking effect, as he shot upwards into the air and threw one of the massive globes of sand as the oncoming attack. It enveloped it, an explosion of black and gold, a massive bell-like noise almost deafening me as the golden sand won out against the black sand for the first time.

It quickly shot up the trail that led to the nightmare's hoof, the stallion quickly raising up and kicking out it's front legs in shock, the golden sand pooling below him and shooting up, grabbing a hold of it's powerful front legs and winding around them. The stallion whinneyed and roared, kicking it's front legs violently and thrashing it's upper body, mane sending granuals of black sand across the room.

Below, I saw Boston's body convulse, her head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut, neck tight and teeth biting hard down onto her lip.

"Sandy! Hurry!"I found myself shouting.

_Boston's p.o.v****_

_'You wanted this! It's your fault! I..I don't deserve this!'_

_"You must wake up. They need you. Be strong, my child, like I knew you were..."_

_"Alena! Mommy stop!"_

_Bunnymund's p.o.v****_

The golden sand thrashed around the nightmare, intertwining over its body as it held firmly into Boston, Sandy's sand biting and lashing against it and tugging as Sandy's face contorted in concentration. The stallion lashed its head side-to-side, trying to kick and bite at the sand, only a few small parts turning black before more sand from the ground shot up to attack the stallion.

Boston's chest was moving too fast, a small cry coming from the back of her throat, sounding desperate and pained. I couldn't just stand here and wait, I had to do something. North still held me fast, but Sandy needed help. Dream sand wasn't the only thing that could defeat nightmares.

I reached back and pulled out a boomerang, ignoring North's shouts as, with all my power, I threw it right into the hide of the nightmare. It sliced right through, the horse screaming an unnatural whinney of agony, it's back now severed down the middle as the boomerang returned over it, me catching it as North put me down. Sandy continued to struggle, panting and gritting his teeth.

We couldn't make him do this on his own. I wouldn't let him.

"C'mon, ya gumbies!"I shouted, and before I'd even finished, a giant torrent of ice slammed into the side of the black stallion, the horse letting out another cry as the ice bit and cut at his neck, black sand spilling like blood and disspating into the bed below, it still trying its hardest to keep itself planted in its host that it had festered in for thousands of years.

Boston cried out again, teeth clenched and a strangled, irritated and pained sound coming from her.

"Boston!"I shouted, as North threw an axe from the desk near us at the nightmare, nicking it's underbelly as Tooth continued to hand him more and more, not caring why the hell he had a batillion of axes in an infirmary room.

"Boston, damnit!"I shouted, catching and throwing boomerangs like my life depended on it. Because it did. Because, by surprise, she had become a major part of my life. My future. I could feel it.

_Boston's p.o.v***_

_"Stop Momma, why are you crying?!"_

_"Deep down, in your center, I know you can overcome..."_

_"Safa stay inside, I'll protect you! Don't worry!"_

_Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

The nightmare was falling onto its severed front legs, now just sandy stumps as Sandy continued to pull and thrash, me pulling back a boomerang and taking aim, right at its back legs.

_Boston's p.o.v****_

_"I'll end it! I'll be happy! I can't take this anymore! It's all your fault! Just...just die!"_

_"You had to travel this path. I saw your future. I was always with you."_

_Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

Everything seemed to slow as I aimed, arm back, boomerang tight in my hand. Flashes of ice, axes, golden sand, black sand, pained, furious whinneys. Please Boston, hold on just a little longer. You have to. Just a few more seconds.

_Boston's p.o.v****_

_"Alena!"_

_"You were meant for more than you had.."_

_"Safa!"_

_Bunnymund's p.o.v****_

The boomerang flew, spinning in a brown blurr, closing in...closing in...closing in...

_Boston's p.o.v***_

_"Your center...an undying loyalty to protect those closest to you..."_

_"Die!"_

_Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

The legs exploded in a mass of black sand, Sandy giving one last lurch as the entire stallion was pulled from her, black sand exploding from her chest like a blood vessel was cut, the stallion flying towards Sandy...

_Boston's p.o.v***_

_"Your purpose..."_

_"Mommy!"_

_"Safa!"_

_"DIE-"_

_"To protect the Guardians."_

"BOSTON!"

_Bunnymund's p.o.v***_

The golden sand formed around it like a golden casing, and, after a moment of stillness, completely imploded within itself in a brilliant display of golden sand, not one grain of black to be found as it arched across the room like a firework, slowing as it floated in the air. Slowly, it began to rain down, like little embers. Like sparks.

The sand finally dissipated, leaving everyone panting and still and numb.

Execept for me.

I moved forward, fast, to Boston's side. She was still unmoving, her body now relaxed. Still. Completely still. Almost serene, but not sleeping. Because her chest wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing. I stiffened, looking as the bandage began to leak from being over-filled with blood, a streak running down her pelvis, one streak across her hip and making an audible drip onto the other side of the bed.

No. No, we couldn't be too late. We couldn't be, that...that was impossible...I couldn't...not after...no..no..she couldn't be-

Electricity exploded acros the room, making me jump back a few feet as the sparks shot out from her like a blown circut, times ten, the cracking in the air almost deafening as she sat bolt-upright, letting out a scream I never wanted to hear again. One that people gave when waking up from a particularly bad nightmare, of fear and hopelessness. One that Boston shouldn't have.

The sparks turned into cracks of lightning, all twisting and jumping around her in a protective shield, her upper body folded forward and her knees slightly up, hands laced into her hair. The cracks became slowly quiet, and I thought I heard another noise inside them. Something soft and jagged.

Only when the electricity finally subsided, dissipating into the air, and the cracks silenced, did I know what that noise was. And it shook me to my very core. A noise no one should ever had heard, a noise that should never have existed, coming from Boston. One I never, in a million, billion years, ever expected of Boston. And, for a moment, it froze the room in shock.

Boston was crying.

Her shoulders hunched and back shook with every quiet whimper and stifled sob, breathing hitched and painful. I'd never seen her so weak in my life, never so vunerable, even when she was sleeping. To think of an enigma, a dangerous spirit like Boston, crying like a scared child, it was truly a heart-breaking moment.

And before I knew what I was doing, I'd pulled her up and was leaning over, holding her upper body to my chest. She didn't even hesitate, something that made me relieved and grateful, curling up and gripping the fur on my chest, crying and shaking quietly, weakly. Tired. She felt so tired, her skin slowly regaining warmth but still chilled, muscles weak, body frail. She'd just gone through a war, and I didn't care if they all could see, I held her to me as protectively as I could.

I wouldn't let anything happen to her again. From this point on, I was her Guardian. I pressed my paw into her hair, her soft hair, and wrapped the other arm around her shoulders. Her cries were soft and horribly sad, terrified, and for a moment I wondered what she witnessed, what could have happened to her to make her this damn broken down.

But I'd never ask her. No, never.

We stayed there for a moment, Boston crying and the others keeping a distance, too shocked to do much of anything. After what felt like minuets, but was probably half an hour or more, she finally stopped, breathing normally and slowly, very slowly, unraveling her hands from my chest. She sat back, me still keeping a paw on her shoulder, looking at her face.

It glowed almost unseen again, her hair vibrant and shimmering. And she opened her eyes. Damn, those eyes. Bright and vibrant. Her face wasn't red or blotchy, having calmed down before she sat back, but she did have a frown and a tired look on her face.

We all waited, watching her, as she slowly, almost lazily looked up at me. Just a moment, a flicker, a feeling twisting up throught my heart. And I knew it was true. It was true, and I had her back, and I wasn't going to let it slip away.

She moved her eyes over to where Jack stood, closest, gripping his staff with wide, hopeful eyes. She was quiet for a moment, just breathing, looking exauhsted. And then,

"Hey, Frostbite, get me some of that Diabetes Coco, will ya?"

_-In the Shadows- Pitch's p.o.v****_

I followed her. I had to. I couldn't leave it. It tormented me more than any nightmare, more than any phobia. It overwhelmed me, it tore me from the inside out. My decision. My desperation.

And for the first time I felt it. What I swore I'd never feel. What I boasted was impossible for me to feel. Guilt. Horrible, gnawing guilt, the likes of which have never existed before in humans or spirits alike. The moment I held the dagger in her, the moment I saw her face. The betrayal. The pain. The agony.

And it was too late to say it wasn't worth it.

It wasn't. None of it was. There would always be fear, but for it to rule the world was hopeless. I'd known this, but I just...I couldn't let it go. My pride. My greed. It took away everything from me. It took my name, my life, my emotions, in the end, the one thing in my life that was perfect. It took her from me, blinding me.

It took her. I took her. He held her, a relief whelling up inside of me when she broke from her nightmare, as if I'd had any doubts she would. Nothing could kill her. She would not die, she was far too stubborn for that. And now she was his, rightfully as well. He could protect her in ways I could not, in ways I should have and didn't.

She was safer with him than she ever was with me. And there was only one way to say how horribly, horribly sorry that I was.


	17. Tell You My Secrets

_-Wow. Just...wow. You guys seriously have no idea how just...just amazing your comments were! You are truly the best reviewers I think I've ever had, seriously. I even made this update because I was so moved with how kind and positive your reactions to the last chapter were. Just to show you how much I appreciated them: I was originally going to have this be a one-story deal. But you guys have inspired me so much with this story that I believe I've come up with what I hope will be an equally-good sequal. But it's up to all of you, of course. Would you like a sequel? And if so, is there anything in particular you'd like in it? Again I'd like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart 3-_

_-Boston Harbor- Boston's p.o.v***_

The sun was setting, slowly dipping down and casting oranges and pinks across the black-tinted water. I watched it, usually not one to like seeing the fading of lights, but in this case the lack of sun brought about something so much more beautiful. That, and it gave me just the right amount of time to relax, to zone out my mind for a few minuets in the open air, out of that infirmary with either Tooth and North mothering me suffocatingly, Jack trying to hit me with snowballs, Sandy trying to replay how, and I assumed this was the word he was trying to use, 'awesome' the whole fight had been, and...

And for some reason, I didn't want to get away from Bunny. He sat silently at my side as the others talked my ears off, just being there. And strangely, I liked it. I felt like I needed him there, after what had happened, all that I'd been through, for the first time I needed someone to protect me while I gained whatever emotional strength had been zapped out of me back. Bunny was that someone.

For the second time I'd slept and he'd protected me. Hell, there was no way I would be able to say that I didn't trust him anymore. I cried in front of him. In front of all of them, but with him it mattered the most. Because I did trust the others. But him more than any of them. More than anyone I'd ever trusted, ever.

And that terrified me. I was used to keeping people safely in the 'detest' zone, so that way they couldn't hurt me whenever they felt like it. If I didn't like them, they didn't like me, and that was simple. But with him it hadn't been. With any of them. I openly hated them, and yet they still took care of me, looked after me like...like a...

"A family."I whispered, looking out over the harbor, sitting on the roof of some ritzy hotel with my knees up to my chest, wincing as the stitches in my wound streached a bit. At least it stopped bleeding after I woke up, having looked around and seen more blood stains than a horror movie on more blankets than I could count.

"Ahh, now she's gettin' it."I looked over, mildly though not too surprised to see Bunny sit down next to me, rubbing sleep from his eyes. That was the only way I could leave, when he was sleeping and not playing 'guardian' over me. I hoped he wouldn't mention how I threw my blanket over him before I left. Hell, I hoped he wouldn't mention a lot of things.

Not just how I cried. Not just my nightmare. But the blatant progression that had taken place. The obvious...thing, between the two of us. I knew what it was. I'd lived for thousands of years, seen too many romance movies and read too many books to not know what this was. I'd felt a form of it once. So I wasn't going to try to fool myself any longer, I wasn't going to let the fear of allowing someone this close to me send me into denial.

How close he had become. How much I trusted him. It was terrifying. Terrifying enough that I felt the odd need to...to tell him things now. Things few spirits knew, things I hadn't told anyone in thousands of years. Like they were going to explode inside of me if I didn't get them out, this strange need to spout out random secrets to this oversized rabbit.

And so I did, because after what had happened, they were eating me alive. I looked forward, arms wrapped around my legs as I said quietly,

"Do you want to know my real name?"

Bunny looked over in my periphrial vision, seeing a slightly surprised look on his face as I watched the sun slowly move down, behind the massive skyscrapers on the other side of the harbor.

"..Ya mean, yer name isn't Boston?"He asked, and I laughed mockingly.

"Please, when I was created, Boston didn't even exist!"

"...So, what did Manny name you?"He inquired curiously, and I almost couldn't believe I was telling him this. I pulled my knees a bit closer as I said quietly,

"...Nightlight."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"That's a bloody stupid name."

"That's what I said!"

Bunny chuckled for a second, and I quickly found it impossible not to chuckle along, hearing his throaty, pleasent-sounding laugh. I looked over at him and smiled, his brilliant green eyes glittering more than usual in the dimming light. Damn, was one beautiful jackass.

But, as much as I was enjoying looking at him, I wasn't done with spouting random information his way. No, the obscure, off-topic information kept rolling, because I had to get it out, I had to throw it into the air and have someone other than me know these things.

"But that's not my only name."

"Ye have more?"

"One more. Before I was re-created. It was Alena, it means 'Light' in some obscure language."

"Alena."

"Yeah."

"I like that one."

"...You do?"

"Sure. Doesn't suit ya, though. Yer not girlish enough fer it."

"I'd kill you if I didn't think the same."

We were quiet for a second, as I looked up at the slowly revealing stars, the sun leaving them in her wake as she went halfway down behind the buildings, now looking like a liquid fire reflecting on the slowly rippling water. That's a light I can appreciate.

"But my sister's matched her perfectly."I mused, and Bunny looked down at me, though what expression he had I couldn't tell. "Her name was 'Safa'. It meants innocent."

"How old was she when...well-"

"When I died she was six. Her birthday was two weeks away. She kind of looked like Sophie."I said in a nonchalant voice. It didn't phase me now like it used to, talking about my past. I remembered, back in the Warren, when Bunny mentioned it quickly and I'd frozen up and shoved the memories down so far that they almost seemed unreal to me. I struggled with them.

But now, after having re-lived them, being raw and real right in front of my eyes, every last minute detail and emotion I'd felt that day being replayed in some sick home movie, it was almost like...like shock therapy, I think they called it. I'd finally seen it, finally relived it, and..somehow, after something that horrible, I felt like it couldn't do anything worse to me.

It had happened. It was over. Now, I had an eternity to get over it, and I felt like I was off to a pretty good start.

"Manny talked to me in the nightmare."I remembered, thinking back. In moments, when the screaming muted like someone had dropped earmuffs over me, I heard a voice. A voice I was sure I would kill the second I saw its owner, and yet I didn't. It was a deep, fatherly voice almost. Almost calming me in all of the chaos, like a still patch of sea in a storm.

And I had to spend days in the infirmary mulling over his words. I remembered each of them, speaking to me, replaying the words like a tape. He had told me my center, given me a brief explination of why he was such an asshole, and explained my purpose. And for some reason...I didn't hate him as much as I had before. Because yeah, he'd used the sorry bastard and yes, if I ever got the chance to meet him I was kicking his ass back a few lunar cycles.

But he finally gave me my explination, and it...it wasn't bad. I had a center. I had a purpose. One that was more than being a Guardian, which was a hell of a lot better than any purpose I'd ever thought up.

"What'd he say?"Bunny asked, and I saw a small cruise boat dock below us. And I told him...most of it.

"I have a center."

"Duh."

"He said it was that...I wanted to protect people close to me, I guess."

"..."

"He said that I had to go through all the shit I did to be the person I am today, to be strong enough to do the protecting. That he was really watching over me the whole time."

"...Almost makes him more of an ass."

"...Yeah, kinda does."

We were silent again, because that was all I could tell him. I didn't know why I could tell him everything except for my purpose, but I just...I just couldn't. I had to think about it, had to get used to the idea of being the Guardian to the Guardians. I couldn't just throw myself right into it, I needed time to think, to be by myself and mull it all over before I decided what I was going to do with the news that, after thousands of isolated years of uselessness, I finally had a pretty damn important purpose.

I felt something warm brush under my chin, and my face was moved lightly and tenderly towards Bunny, him leaning towards me, and yet with no intention of bringing his face any closer. He was leaning, one hand behind me and the other on my chin, his face serious and eyes locked onto my face, brow furrowed and slightly crinckling the deep blue marking on his forehead.

And damn, if he didn't look hansome when he was like this. Serious and searching, eyes glittering and fur brushing under my chin. I truly trusted him, if I were letting him this close. And I did. I trusted him with all my heart. More than that. I trusted him with everything I had. I showed him me, really me. I just told him seemingly trivial things that had a major impact on my life. And without hesitation.

He was a part of my life that I would never forget, even if, somehow, it all ended. He made me feel happy, safe, comforted, he made me laugh and hell, everytime he touched me sparks ignited somewhere, usually his touch. I protected him. Because part of me knew that, if he ever, ever got hurt, that might shatter me. If the others got hurt I'd be pissed. But him..no, no that wasn't something I would ever let happen. Because for the first time someone meant so much to me that they could so easily hurt me.

And that's why I said what I said next, when he brushed a thumb across my cheek and a spark danced across that spot quickly, when he said in a low, rumbling tone,

"Sheila...I don't know how, but...I lo-"

"Don't say it."

He paused, eyes widening a second. I reached forward and took ahold of his face with one hand, pulling his face to me as I leaned forward and kissed his nose, the small, cold nose that twitched comically at the contact. His body stiffened as I finally sat back, hand still on his face and his paw on my leg, me looking at him completely serious, him completely confused.

"I..I don't unda'stand you.."He muttered, and I shook my head.

"Don't say it. I know you mean it, but...just don't."

"Why?"He asked, a hint of anger in his tone. I found myself lacing my fingers through the soft fur of his cheek, feeling sadness creep into my chest as I said quietly and seriously,

"Because I've never trusted someone as much as I trust you right now. Ever. Not even with Pitch, not even way back when he really was Pitch. You're the first person I've ever felt would never, ever hurt me but could completely shatter me accidentally. That's why you can't say it. Because I can't let you mean more to me than you do right now."

"..But-"

"Please."I said louder, for the first time in my life begging, seeing a slightly desperate look on my face, reflected in his eyes. He paused a moment, caught between anger and something else, before his features slowly relaxed, eyebrows unfurrowed and eyes became softer. He slowly nodded and said,

"Okay, sheila. I wont say it." I relaxed, feeling a weight lift off of me as the sun slowly set more.

And then an idea hit me. I looked at him excitedly and said,

"You wanna see something amazing?"

"Uh..sure?"He said, confused. I grinned and looked over, seeing the sun now a dim sliver. Just a few more seconds.

"Close your eyes!"I said, getting more and more excited, Bunny slowly shrugging and closing his eyes, waiting as I looked over, waiting. The light slowly receeded from the building, from over the harbor, from the cracks between the skyscrapers, until, inch by inch, the sun completely vanished.

What was left was one of the most breathtaking views I'd ever seen.

"Okay...open."I whispered, and I assumed he did, my eyes glued to the sight before me. The world around us was completely dark with the fresh, new night, leaving a horizon of beautiful, breathtaking, glittering city lights along the oppisite side of the harbor. This was my favorite view in the entire world, beating any city I'd ever been to.

It was like someone took a blanket and infused it with the most beautiful lights in the world, and then cloaked the skyscrapers with it. Words, mere words, could never describe how beautiful the other side of the harbor was. Thousands of thousands of city lights illuminating in a masterpiece in the blackest nights. Like a glittering crown in a sea of oil, untouched by the darkness around it.

"...Crikey."Bunny whispered, and I nodded.

"True that."I said back, "This is why I took up the name Boston."

"Betta' than bloody Nightlight."

"Sometimes Manny has no clue what he's doing."

"...Don' know. He did lead ya ta us. Even if it were a mistake, I'm not too angry 'bout it."

"Sap."

"Punk."

"Fluffy."

"Nightlight."

I shot a trail of sparks at him, and he quickly dodged it, lunging at me. I jumped out into the air and flew just beyond his arm length, sticking my tongue out at him and putting my hands on my hips. He glowered, saying,

"Real mature."

"I'm over two thousand years old, I'll be immature if I want."I shot back, "Don't be sour cuz you can't fly."

He opened his mouth and shouted something at me, but it was lost as something behind him almost made me fall right out of the sky. I gasped as a torrent of shadows flew together behind him, a man growing out of them and giving me an odd look. Indifference. Calm. Something else I didn't take the time to place.

I lunged forward and shoved Bunny out of the way, hearing him curse.

"Oi, bloody he-!"He turned, seeing Pitch just as I landed, my entire body tight and a white-hot fury building in my chest. Pitch continued to just stand there, saying nothing and moving not one inch, the shadows around him low and calm.

But I didn't care. Right now, I didn't care about anything. Anything but this man that I'd given my trust to, this man who took it and crushed me. Crushed my heart. Crushed who I used to me. The only person that I'd ever wanted to say those three, horrible words to. But that time was long, long ago, and when he decided that power was worth more than what he had, the strings on my puppet were cut. Forever.

And I was going to finish him, just as I'd been too manipulated to recently. Just as I'd done 905 years ago.

I pulled back a hand, a massively loud 'CRACK!' ripping through the air, deafening me for a moment and leaving a ringing in my ear as multiple, slightly lower cracks rang out in a chorus of power, a ball over pure light and electricity forming within my palm. Streaks of lightning-like shards spiked out of it, cracking and jaggedly cutting the air around me. My body buzzed, my veins ran white-hot, the air around us trembling like in an earthquake.

Those in their homes now would think it was just a momentary, freak lightning bolt sounding deafeningly off in the distance. To me, it was a finishing attack in the beginning of a battle. I wasn't paying attention to breathing, to moving, to Bunny, to anything around me. Just Pitch and what he had done.

I looked into his eyes, infuriatingly calm...but there was something in them that, had I taken the time to really think about it, I might have stopped. But I couldn't see it. I was blinded. Fury, horrible betrayal, abuse, everything he'd ever done to me to use me and make me look like a fool and feel like a useless, abandon wreck, all of it blinding me dangerously.

I would fight him. Right here, right now, no matter how hard he fought back, no matter how strong he was and no matter how long the battle was, I was going to get this hit in eventually, and it would be oh so worth it.

I ran, lunging forward as streaks of lighting lit up behind me, cracking angrily and mightily, the area around us lighting up from the sheer fource of the ball of electricity, casting a light that chased away the shadows around Pitch as, suddenly, I felt my hand connect with the one area that I attacked all those years ago, the area where all of his power came from, where all of his nighmares grew out of. I attacked it like I did just now, and it was horribly damaged to the point where it took him a thousand years to recouperate. I slammed an unheardof amount of power right into his heart...

And it took me a moment to realize.

He hadn't dodged it.

I froze, hand flat against his chest, the electricity now gone, having emploded through his unbeating heart, an icy feeling sliding down my chest and spine. Pitch was still, his arms by his sides, body completely prone to the attack. No sign of self-defense. He... I looked up at him, confused, a horrible feeling sinking in my chest.

And he smiled at me. A smile I hadn't seen in over a thousand years.

"..P..Pitch, why...?"I whispered, feeling his body become weak under my hand, his face showing small signs of pain and weakness, but still with that smile. That smile that broke my heart in a new way. And then he said, in a quiet voice,

"This is how I say I'm sorry."


	18. Goodbyes Never Last

_-This, ladies and gentlemen, is the very last chapter. I would like to thank all of you with all of my heart for your support and for becoming so invested in this story. I am currently working out details of the sequel and am accepting anything you'd enjoy seeing in it. Again, thank you all 3-_

_-Boston Harbor- Boston's p.o.v****_

_ 'I recognize that face...'_

_'Am I supposed to be flattered or something?'_

_'You could be a bit more apologetic, you did just attack a random stranger for no reason.'_

_'I had a reason! Who slinks around in the forest alone at night?!'_

_'You.'_

_'...'_

_'Ah, silence. I've never missed it so much.'_

_'Ass.'_

_'Actually, my name is Pitch. May I ask yours?'_

_'No, you may not.'_

_'And why is that, former Guardian of Dreams?'_

_'You work for the Man in the Moon, right? Why do I need to tell anything to one of his little servants? Shouldn't you be shunning me or something, anyways?'_

_'I may be technically one of his children...but that does not always mean I agree with his actions.'_

_'...'_

_'...'_

_'Nightlight.'_

_'That's a beautiful name.'_

"Pitch!"I screamed, panic filling me, a horrible feeling chilling me to my core. What had I just done? What had he just done?

He stumbled, falling backwards before I lunged forward, my body working without a brain as I grabbed ahold of his arms, steadying him as he lay himself down, cringing a bit as the shadows around him weakly trembled, licking up mere inches before falling limply onto the ground. I knelt down next to him, looking over as he turned his head, opening his eyes a bit, only half-lidded. That smile was still on his lips, something beautiful, something sad, something full of regret.

And for some reason, I felt tears begin to whell up behind my eyes, my jaw tightening as I held them back, confused and scared. I placed a hand firmly on his chest, where I could feel a cold air emitting like a vent, his power slowly draining from him. Power he needed. Power that I just took from him. That I wanted to, that I hated, that just seconds ago I'd wanted to destroy forever.

So why did I regret my actions now? Why did I want to take it all back? And why did his smile hurt me so badly?

"Pitch, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"I screamed angrily, out of fear. Weakly, I felt his chest tremble with a small chuckle, corners of his lips lightly pulled up and giving his face a whole new look. Tender, calm, gentle. Things you'd never expect from the King of Nightmares, but it was there, and damnit if it wasn't still beautiful after all these years.

"What do you mean you're saying 'I'm sorry'?! Why didn't you dodge it?!"I screamed more, my mind seeming to rush together as words poured out of my mouth, suddenly unblinded by fury and now seeing exactly what I'd done, not knowing why he'd let it happen, not knowing why I wanted him to stop it. I was breathing in a labored way, not giving him time to respond as I continued my mad-like rant.

"Why didn't you fight back?! You tried to kill me and now I'm alive again! Why aren't you angry?! You should be furious! You remember that attack, don't you? You have to! Last time it took you thousands of years to recover from it! So why didn't you move?! Why?! Stop messing with me, damnit! Stop messing with my head! I hate that! Why are you fucking smiling?!"

My voice cracked and my breathing now sounded like sobs, sharp intakes of labored breaths wracking my body as I tried to control myself, shaking and a horrible pain filling me. Why hadn't I felt this last time? Last time I'd been relieved and calm, if not a bit lonely. So why was then different from now?...

Because this time, he let me.

"Pitch fucking Black! Answer me!"I shouted, grabbing two fistfulls of his cloak and pulling myself forward, looking down at him as he continued to smile. And looking at it, finally, I let out a sob. A sob of pain. Because this wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. From the very beginning, we were meant for a rocky road. That was what led us to who we were today, two necissairy oppisites...

But damnit, he wasn't supposed to do this! He wasn't supposed to _let _ me win!

I felt his hand brush across my face softly, leaving a small tingling sensation before the hand gently fell back to the ground, weak. His eyes looked up into mine, golden and dark, bitter and regretful.

"This is how I repay you, for everything. For hurting you. For thinking I could keep you, after I changed into something even the Boogeyman can fear. I can think of no better revenge than to allow you to rid yourself of what caused you so much pain. This I give to you."He said, his voice quiet. True. No lies, no manipulation. Pitch. Real, real Pitch.

My heart broke, vision became blurry as my breath caught behind a lump in my throat. All I could do was shake my head quickly, biting down hard on my teeth. I spoke, which came out cracked and pitiful-sounding,

"Pitch...you can't do this. Not after everything that's happened. You can't just...just do this!"

"I believe it's far too late for that, my dear."He said with almost a laugh, but I was far from laughing. I was far from anything of the sort. I was breaking, and all because of him. Because, after everything he'd done, after falling dangerously hard for Aster, there was still part of me that cared about this man. And he couldn't hurt me like this.

"I don't want this. I don't. Stop doing this to me!"I shouted, throat pained from the hard lump. A bitter sadness ghosted across his eyes as he turned his head a bit.

"That's the point I'm trying to make, Boston."He paused, seeming to struggle a bit as he tilted his head to swallow before contnuing, "I've hurt you so much. Something so beautiful, and I brought a shadow over it. And somehow, I've come to regret that. To regret all of it, all that I've ever done to you. Do you see how special you are? You're making the Boogeyman regret hurting someone!"He laughed again a few times, before settling peacefully down.

His eyes softened as I tried not to blink, knowing a tear would roll down if I did.

"You know,"He said, his voice unbelievably soft, "At one point, before I became what I did, I believe that part of me really did love you."

All those years ago, part of me did, too.

And it wasn't fair that it had all ended. That it turned into this. But if I thought about it, it was inevitable, wasn't it?

He turned his head, eyes looking somewhere off to my side, where Bunny stood. I'd almost forgotten he was there, but the thought of him seeing me like this didn't seem to bother me as much as it should have. And maybe Pitch noticed that. Maybe he'd noticed more than I realized, because when he looked over at Bunny, he said,

"Do keep her damn well safe."

I didn't know if Bunny had nodded or done anything at all, I was still focused on Pitch, on how he was slowly waning, as he turned his face back up to mine. I shook my head again, voice thick and cracking,

"Why..?"

"Simple, my dear."He said, as shadows began to move onto his arms and torso, me never moving my hands. "Without me, you can be precisely what you were meant to be, whatever you wish for that to be. I want you to be happy. That is the only price for my absence. Happy like you used to be, before I broke it. Happy like I wish we could have been."

"But Pitch...no-"

"You care about that overstuffed housepet, more than you ever did me."

"But that doesn't mean...but...everything that happened..."

"Happened for a reason. Boston, you gave me some of the best days of my eternal life. It was I who decided to end them, and my absence will aid me just as much as you." Shadows etched upwards, hiding my hands up to my wrists, wrapping around his collarbone. And I thought back, about who we used to be, about gentle touches and jabs and kisses and words.

And none of it would ever be the same again. But Pitch was doing this for me, he was leaving for me.

So I was right, when I thought that part of him was always sincere.

"Who knows?"He asked, as the shadows spread out on the roof, around me and him, chilling me, preparing to take him back to his cave to heal, "In one thousand more years, maybe things can change."

I paused, looking down at Pitch Black, and felt all of the anger and betrayal and regret wash away. Because, really, what was the use of carrying it around anymore?

I nodded.

"I still think Nightlight is a beautiful name."He added, as the shadows surrouned his face.

"I still think you're an ass."I retorted calmly, and for a moment we looked at eachother. And for a moment, I thought.

Maybe, in a thousand years, we could be friends.

But nothing more. Because I felt a horrible feeling that the man behind me would fill that position for years to come. Pitch continued to smile as I stood, watching the whole time as he gently closed his eyes and let out a breath, the shadows quickly shooting over his face and wrapping around his body, before slowly sinking into the roof of the building, like a cloth absorbing a raindrop.

After a moment, there was no evidence that the King of Nightmares had ever been here. Just a glowing girl and a giant rabbit. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Let's go home."I said.

Two arms wrapped around me and, for the first time, I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck on purpose. Bunny paused a moment, then reached down and cradled me, tapping the ground twice and dropping us down, away from the harbor, and towards the North Pole.

_-At The Pole, The Next Day- Boston's p.o.v***_

"What?!"Tooth exclaimed, as I crouched on the railing, looking at all of the shocked and dumbstruck faces of the Guardians. To be honest, I did feel a sadness and loneliness creep in on me, having grown pretty damn fond of these guys over the past week. But I needed time, I had to think without these guys getting into anymore trouble that I had to get them out of.

"I'm heading out, personal buisiness."I said, trying to leave as quick as possible. As bad as I was with 'hello', I was ten times worse with 'goodbye', especially when I actually liked the ones I was leaving. Jack's face almost broke my heart, a dissapointed frown on his face as he flew up to me.

"Aww, don't give me that Frostbite!"I exclaimed, and as he continued the worlds most powerful puppy-dog face of the past few centuries, I finally caved. I reached forward and ruffled his hair, smiling as I fought down the quickly-growing sad feeling.

"Hey, it wont be for long! I've just got to do a few things, I'll be back before you miss me."I assured him, and saw his face lighten up again.

"You promise? Cross your heart and hope to die?"He prodded, and I rolled my eyes.

"I already died, but fine. I promise."I said, and he beamed, floating back to the others.

"I'll...I'll miss you!"Tooth said, clearly crying and doing her best to hide it. North, not so shockingly, was doing the same, nodding in his only response as he pretended to admire the floor. Sandy looked up at me, and I smiled first. I still had a hard time believing that I hated him, then trained him, and then he saved my life. My entire world had been turned around in a week's time.

The little guy smiled back, winking, and then flashed images above his head.

'I'll try to be as good a Guardian as you were. I promise.'

"Don't go making me cry, you fat little thing."I scolded, chuckling.

"I'd love ta see tha'."Bunny teased, and I looked over at him. And yes, there was still that tingling sensation of sparks going down my spine and, yes, I knew that I'd miss him most of all.

And I couldn't just leave him with a jab.

I reached forward and grabbed a fist-full of his chest fur, pulling him to me as I kissed his nose, hearing Jack snort loudly with laughter and Tooth gasp. Bunny froze as I ended the second-long nose-kiss, me winking and saying,

"I win."

He slowly understood, and his eyes began to glitter again as he gave a lopsided grin.

"Neva' challenge a rabbit, sheila."He warned, and I was about to say something witty and clever, but before I could do anything a massive arm wrapped around me and pulled me to a broad chest, squeezing me until I was sure I would crack.

"WE VILL MEES SO MUCH!"North boomed, crying and sobbing as he hugged me tightly.

"Remember to floss!"Tooth cried, feeling her arms wrap around me, too, followed by two smaller ones, a cold pair laughing as Jack jokingly joined in. I heard Bunny yelp as North reached over and fourced him in on the rather suffocating group-hug, my personal space being seriously violated.

"When I'm gone, you better damn well learn what a 'space bubble' is!"I shouted, irritated, as a few laughs rang out over North and Tooth's sobbing. Damnit, they were not making this easy, and I had to leave before things got ugly.

Using my feet, I sent sparks down with such fource that I was rocketed from their grasp, up into the air as I took a deep breath.

"See you idiots next time!"I shouted down, looking down just once as I shot towards the hole above the globe.

Tooth was waving and whiping tears from her eyes. Sandy was waving a beaming hand up at me. Jack was doing the same, laughing as North continued to crush Bunny in a hug, looking up at me with a tear-streaked face. Bunny, aside from trying to struggle out of North's grasp and shouting something in Aussi slang, looked up at me.

And when I looked into his eyes, when I looked at all of them, I knew. Deep down in my heart, after I took some time to clear my head, I had not one doubt.

I would be the Guardian of the Guardians.


	19. Announcement

Just a quick note:

Spark 2: Lost Memories, the sequel to Spark, is now up! Please review and let me know what you want to see and if you like it!


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